Kinship Care: Improving Practice through Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleeson, James P., Ed.; Hairston, Creasie Finney, Ed.

Family members have traditionally provided kinship care for each other in times of crisis. Recently, such care has become part of the child welfare system. This edited volume presents several studies designed to identify current knowledge about kinship care as a child welfare service. Presented in five parts, the book summarizes the current state…

First-order fire effects on herbs and Shrubs: present knowledge and process modeling needs

Treesearch

Kirsten Stephan; Melanie Miller; Matthew B. Dickinson

2010-01-01

Herbaceous plants and shrubs have received little attention in terms of fire effects modeling despite their critical role in ecosystem integrity and resilience after wildfires and prescribed burns. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge of direct effects of fire on herb and shrub (including cacti) vegetative tissues and seed banks, propose key components for...

Assessment of research and development (R and D) needs in LPG safety and environmental control

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

DeSteese, J.G.

1982-05-01

The report characterizes the LPG industry covering all operations from production to end use, reviews current knowledge of LPG release phenomenology, summarizes the status of current LPG release prevention and control methodology, and identifies any remaining safety and environmental problems and recommends R and D strategies that may mitigate these problems. (ACR)

AIR QUALITY CRITERIA FOR LEAD (1977)

EPA Science Inventory

The document summarizes current knowledge about the relationships between airborne lead and consequent effects on man and his environment. The effects that have been observed to occur when airborne lead has reached or exceeded specific levels for time periods constitute the centr...

Vibrational-Rotational Spectroscopy For Planetary Atmospheres, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mumma, M. J. (Editor); Fox, K. (Editor); Hornstein, J. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Comprehensive information on the composition and dynamics of the varied planetary atmospheres is summarized. New observations resulted in new demands for supporting laboratory studies. Spectra observed from spacecraft used to interpret planetary atmospheric structure measurements, to aid in greenhouse and cloud physics calculations, and to plan future experiments are discussed. Current findings and new ideas of physicists, chemists, and planetry astronomers relating to the knowledge of the structure of things large and small, of planets and of molecules are summarized.

A synthesis of the "state-of-the-practice for advancing planning and operations integration opportunities within transportation agencies".

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

Linking Planning and Operations is vital to improving transportation decision-making and overall : efficiency of transportation systems management. This synthesis summarizes current state of : knowledge and practices in Planning and Operations Integr...

Marihuana and Health: A Report to Congress from the Secretary, U. S. Department of Health Education and Welfare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Mental Health (DHEW), Bethesda, MD.

This report to congress is designed to summarize the current status of our knowledge of the health consequences of the use of marijuana, that is, not only the effects of the drug on the individual's physical and psychological health, but also the effects of marijuana use on the society as a whole. Certainly, our knowledge of marijuana and health…

Lightning protection for aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, F. A.; Plumer, J. A.

1980-01-01

Reference book summarizes current knowledge concerning potential lightning effects on aircraft and means available to designers and operators to protect against effects. Book is available because of increasing use of nonmetallic materials in aircraft structural components and use of electronic equipment for control of critical flight operations and navigation.

Domestic Violence and Children: Analysis and Recommendations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Lucy Salcido; Weithorn, Lois A.; Behrman, Richard E.

1999-01-01

Summarizes current knowledge about the prevalence and effects of childhood exposure to domestic violence. Describes responses to this problem by the services systems with which children exposed to violence have contact and explores what is known about how well these responses work. (Contains 97 references.) (SLD)

Hypoglycemia.

PubMed

Alsahli, Mazen; Gerich, John E

2013-12-01

Hypoglycemia remains a common problem for patients with diabetes and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. This article summarizes our current knowledge of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, and complications of hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes and discusses prevention and treatment strategies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current knowledge related to intelligence and thinking with implications for the development and use of case studies.

PubMed

Lunney, Margaret

2008-01-01

This paper reviews current knowledge regarding intelligence and thinking, and relates this knowledge to learning to diagnose human responses and to select health outcomes and nursing interventions. Knowledge from relevant literature sources was summarized. The provision of high-quality nursing care requires use of critical thinking with three elements of nursing care: nursing diagnosis, health outcomes, and nursing interventions. Metacognition (thinking about thinking) should be used with knowledge of the subject matter and repeated practice in using the knowledge. Because there are limited clinical opportunities to practice using metacognition and knowledge of these nursing care elements, case studies can be used to foster nurses' expertise. Simulations of clinical cases are needed that illustrate application of the nursing knowledge represented in NANDA International, Nursing Outcomes Classification, and Nursing Interventions Classification. The International Journal of Nursing Terminologies and Classifications will promote the dispersion of case studies as a means of facilitating the implementation and use of nursing languages and classifications.

Winter Movements and Range Use of Radio-marked Mexican Spotted Owls: An Evaluation of Current Management Recommendations

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block

2005-01-01

We summarized existing knowledge on winter movements and range and habitat use of radio-marked Mexican spotted owls. In light of that information, we evaluated the adequacy of current management guidelines. Seasonal movement or "migration" appears to be a regular feature of the winter ecology of Mexican spotted owls. Most radio-marked owls studied were...

Ecohydrological consequences of grasses invading shrublands: A comparison of cold and warm deserts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Exotic grasses are altering native savannas and woodlands across the globe. We summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the ecohydrological consequences of native-shrubland-to-grassland conversion. Our objectives are to understand ecohydrological changes at the local scale, such as soil-...

Invasion of shrublands by exotic grasses: Ecohydrological consequences in cold vs. warm deserts

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Across the globe, native savannas and woodlands are undergoing conversion to exotic grasslands. Here we summarize the current state of knowledge concerning the ecohydrological consequences of this conversion for the cold deserts (Great Basin, Colorado Plateau) and the warm deserts (Mojave, Sonoran, ...

Mycobacterium chimaera - a new threat for cardiac surgical patients?

PubMed

Jaworski, Radosław; Naumiuk, Łukasz; Paczkowski, Konrad; Formella, Danuta; Pek, Renata; Zieliński, Jacek; Haponiuk, Ireneusz

2017-03-01

An outbreak of invasive Mycobacterium chimaera infections associated with "heater-cooler" devices in patients treated with cardiac surgery has been described worldwide. The authors summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the epidemiology, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention of Mycobacterium chimaera infections in patients after cardiothoracic surgery.

Molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of dietary factors on the skeleton

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This book chapter summarizes the current state of knowledge on molecular mechanisms whereby nutritional status and dietary factors found in fruits, vegetables, and grains affect bone turnover and skeletal quality. The Wnt-beta catenin and bone morphogenic protein (BMP) pathways in osteoblast bone ce...

The Counselor and Testing: Some Legal Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talbutt, Lou Culler

1983-01-01

Summarizes significant laws and court cases pertaining to discrimination in educational testing and discusses the implications for counselors. Counselors must be knowledgeable about current testing information, regulations of the state and local boards of education, and professional guidelines to avoid discrimination of students because of sex,…

Advertising Research: The State of the Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramond, Charles

This book summarizes and appraises current knowledge and practice in the field of advertising research. The material is presented under the following chapter headings: aim and scope, how advertising communicates, how advertising sells, theme research, selecting target audiences, copy research, studies of advertising frequency, media research,…

Allergens in veterinary medicine.

PubMed

Mueller, R S; Janda, J; Jensen-Jarolim, E; Rhyner, C; Marti, E

2016-01-01

Allergic diseases in animals are increasingly gaining importance in veterinary practice and as research models. For intradermal testing and allergen immunotherapy, a good knowledge of relevant allergens for the individual species is of great importance. Currently, the knowledge about relevant veterinary allergens is based on sensitization rates identified by intradermal testing or serum testing for allergen-specific IgE; crude extracts are the basis for most evaluations. Only a few studies provide evidence about the molecular structure of (particularly) dust mite, insect and mould allergens in dogs and horses, respectively. In those species, some major allergens differ from those in humans. This position paper summarizes the current knowledge about relevant allergens in dogs, cats and horses. © 2015 The Authors Allergy Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Behavioral fever in ectothermic vertebrates.

PubMed

Rakus, Krzysztof; Ronsmans, Maygane; Vanderplasschen, Alain

2017-01-01

Fever is an evolutionary conserved defense mechanism which is present in both endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates. Ectotherms in response to infection can increase their body temperature by moving to warmer places. This process is known as behavioral fever. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms of induction of fever in mammals. We further discuss the evolutionary conserved mechanisms existing between fever of mammals and behavioral fever of ectothermic vertebrates. Finally, the experimental evidences supporting an adaptive value of behavioral fever expressed by ectothermic vertebrates are summarized. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning Progressions & Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Joyce M.; de los Santos, Elizabeth X.; Anderson, Charles W.

2015-01-01

Our society is currently having serious debates about sources of energy and global climate change. But do students (and the public) have the requisite knowledge to engage these issues as informed citizenry? The learning-progression research summarized here indicates that only 10% of high school students typically have a level of understanding…

Evaluating a Skin Sensitization Model and Examining Common Assumptions of Skin Sensitizers (QSAR conference)

EPA Science Inventory

Skin sensitization is an adverse outcome that has been well studied over many decades. Knowledge of the mechanism of action was recently summarized using the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) framework as part of the OECD work programme (OECD, 2012). Currently there is a strong focus...

New Directions in Reading Instruction--Revised.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinson, Bess, Ed.

The gains in knowledge about the nature of reading and how to most effectively teach it come from cognitive research. This booklet (in the form of a flipchart) synthesizes and summarizes much of the current research on effective instruction for improved literacy and greater student achievement. The booklet, a revised edition of "New…

Health Insurance for Children. The Future for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behrman, Richard E., Ed.

2003-01-01

This issue of "The Future of Children" focuses on efforts to provide publicly funded health insurance to low-income children in the United States through Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The articles summarize current knowledge and research about which children are uninsured and why, discuss ways to…

Adolescent Gambling: A Narrative Review of Behavior and Its Predictors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ariyabuddhiphongs, Vanchai

2013-01-01

This narrative review summarizes current knowledge on adolescent gambling for the period 1990-2010, assesses adolescent gambling behavior and person and environment predictors, and suggests directions for future research. The review includes 99 studies that identified their subjects as adolescents, children, youth, and students, and discusses…

Claudins and the Modulation of Tight Junction Permeability

PubMed Central

Günzel, Dorothee

2013-01-01

Claudins are tight junction membrane proteins that are expressed in epithelia and endothelia and form paracellular barriers and pores that determine tight junction permeability. This review summarizes our current knowledge of this large protein family and discusses recent advances in our understanding of their structure and physiological functions. PMID:23589827

Reducing Adolescent Risk: Toward an Integrated Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romer, David, Ed.

This collection of papers focuses on common influences that result in a number of interrelated risk behaviors, summarizing presentations and discussions from a recent conference at which a group of specialists from different health traditions synthesized current knowledge on the subject. There are 39 papers in four parts. Part 1, "Adolescents…

Access, Participation, and Supports: The Defining Features of High-Quality Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buysse, Virginia

2011-01-01

This article describes current knowledge about early childhood inclusion, summarizing research and the DEC/NAEYC joint position statement on inclusion. The article also describes effective or promising educational practices that promote access, participation, and supports--the defining features of high-quality inclusion. Future efforts to improve…

On the Normative Foundations of Economic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leming, James S.

The organization and argument of this paper on the status of economic education in American schools today are essentially summarized in four observations. They are that: (1) the current emphasis of economic education is overwhelmingly cognitive and focuses on increasing student knowledge and understanding of our economic system; (2) available…

Redesigning America's Schools: A Systems Approach to Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Francis M.; Rogerson, Lynda G.; Blick, Charles

Current school improvement tools are largely piecemeal and often lack credible supportive evidence. Knowledge Work Supervision (KWS) is built on the premise that schools must develop the capacity for sustaining districtwide improvements. Chapter 1, "The Past Before Us Is Not the Future," summarizes the key elements of the four phases of…

The Lymphatic System and Pancreatic Cancer

PubMed Central

Fink, Darci M.; Steele, Maria M.; Hollingsworth, Michael A.

2016-01-01

This review summarizes current knowledge of the biology, pathology and clinical understanding of lymphatic invasion and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. We discuss the clinical and biological consequences of lymphatic invasion and metastasis, including paraneoplastic effects on immune responses and consider the possible benefit of therapies to treat tumors that are localized to lymphatics. A review of current techniques and methods to study interactions between tumors and lymphatics is presented. PMID:26742462

Painful and involuntary Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Bagnato, Francesca; Centonze, Diego; Galgani, Simonetta; Grasso, Maria Grazia; Haggiag, Shalom; Strano, Stefano

2010-01-01

Importance of the field Pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions may occur in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Areas covered in the field In the present review we attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the impact that pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions have in patients with MS. What the reader will gain The current understanding on pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions and future research perspectives to expand the knowledge of this field. Take home message To effectively manage MS it is essential that these symptoms are recognised as early as possible and treated by a rehabilitative multidisciplinary approach, based on proven scientific evidence. PMID:21323633

Atmospheric Aerosol Properties and Climate Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chin, Mian; Kahn, Ralph A.; Remer, Lorraine A.; Yu, Hongbin; Rind, David; Feingold, Graham; Quinn, Patricia K.; Schwartz, Stephen E.; Streets, David G.; DeCola, Phillip;

International Expert Consensus Document on Takotsubo Syndrome (Part I): Clinical Characteristics, Diagnostic Criteria, and Pathophysiology.

PubMed

Ghadri, Jelena-Rima; Wittstein, Ilan Shor; Prasad, Abhiram; Sharkey, Scott; Dote, Keigo; Akashi, Yoshihiro John; Cammann, Victoria Lucia; Crea, Filippo; Galiuto, Leonarda; Desmet, Walter; Yoshida, Tetsuro; Manfredini, Roberto; Eitel, Ingo; Kosuge, Masami; Nef, Holger M; Deshmukh, Abhishek; Lerman, Amir; Bossone, Eduardo; Citro, Rodolfo; Ueyama, Takashi; Corrado, Domenico; Kurisu, Satoshi; Ruschitzka, Frank; Winchester, David; Lyon, Alexander R; Omerovic, Elmir; Bax, Jeroen J; Meimoun, Patrick; Tarantini, Guiseppe; Rihal, Charanjit; Y-Hassan, Shams; Migliore, Federico; Horowitz, John D; Shimokawa, Hiroaki; Lüscher, Thomas Felix; Templin, Christian

2018-06-07

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a poorly recognized heart disease that was initially regarded as a benign condition. Recently, it has been shown that TTS may be associated with severe clinical complications including death and that its prevalence is probably underestimated. Since current guidelines on TTS are lacking, it appears timely and important to provide an expert consensus statement on TTS. The clinical expert consensus document part I summarizes the current state of knowledge on clinical presentation and characteristics of TTS and agrees on controversies surrounding TTS such as nomenclature, different TTS types, role of coronary artery disease, and etiology. This consensus also proposes new diagnostic criteria based on current knowledge to improve diagnostic accuracy.

International Expert Consensus Document on Takotsubo Syndrome (Part I): Clinical Characteristics, Diagnostic Criteria, and Pathophysiology

PubMed Central

Ghadri, Jelena-Rima; Wittstein, Ilan Shor; Prasad, Abhiram; Sharkey, Scott; Dote, Keigo; Akashi, Yoshihiro John; Cammann, Victoria Lucia; Crea, Filippo; Galiuto, Leonarda; Desmet, Walter; Yoshida, Tetsuro; Manfredini, Roberto; Eitel, Ingo; Kosuge, Masami; Nef, Holger M; Deshmukh, Abhishek; Lerman, Amir; Bossone, Eduardo; Citro, Rodolfo; Ueyama, Takashi; Corrado, Domenico; Kurisu, Satoshi; Ruschitzka, Frank; Winchester, David; Lyon, Alexander R; Omerovic, Elmir; Bax, Jeroen J; Meimoun, Patrick; Tarantini, Guiseppe; Rihal, Charanjit; Y.-Hassan, Shams; Migliore, Federico; Horowitz, John D; Shimokawa, Hiroaki; Lüscher, Thomas Felix; Templin, Christian

2018-01-01

Abstract Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a poorly recognized heart disease that was initially regarded as a benign condition. Recently, it has been shown that TTS may be associated with severe clinical complications including death and that its prevalence is probably underestimated. Since current guidelines on TTS are lacking, it appears timely and important to provide an expert consensus statement on TTS. The clinical expert consensus document part I summarizes the current state of knowledge on clinical presentation and characteristics of TTS and agrees on controversies surrounding TTS such as nomenclature, different TTS types, role of coronary artery disease, and etiology. This consensus also proposes new diagnostic criteria based on current knowledge to improve diagnostic accuracy. PMID:29850871

Immunosuppression for in vivo research: state-of-the-art protocols and experimental approaches

PubMed Central

Diehl, Rita; Ferrara, Fabienne; Müller, Claudia; Dreyer, Antje Y; McLeod, Damian D; Fricke, Stephan; Boltze, Johannes

2017-01-01

Almost every experimental treatment strategy using non-autologous cell, tissue or organ transplantation is tested in small and large animal models before clinical translation. Because these strategies require immunosuppression in most cases, immunosuppressive protocols are a key element in transplantation experiments. However, standard immunosuppressive protocols are often applied without detailed knowledge regarding their efficacy within the particular experimental setting and in the chosen model species. Optimization of such protocols is pertinent to the translation of experimental results to human patients and thus warrants further investigation. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding immunosuppressive drug classes as well as their dosages and application regimens with consideration of species-specific drug metabolization and side effects. It also summarizes contemporary knowledge of novel immunomodulatory strategies, such as the use of mesenchymal stem cells or antibodies. Thus, this review is intended to serve as a state-of-the-art compendium for researchers to refine applied experimental immunosuppression and immunomodulation strategies to enhance the predictive value of preclinical transplantation studies. PMID:27721455

[Artificial intelligence--the knowledge base applied to nephrology].

PubMed

Sancipriano, G P

2005-01-01

The idea that efficacy efficiency, and quality in medicine could not be reached without sorting the huge knowledge of medical and nursing science is very common. Engineers and computer scientists have developed medical software with great prospects for success, but currently these software applications are not so useful in clinical practice. The medical doctor and the trained nurse live the 'information age' in many daily activities, but the main benefits are not so widespread in working activities. Artificial intelligence and, particularly, export systems charm health staff because of their potential. The first part of this paper summarizes the characteristics of 'weak artificial intelligence' and of expert systems important in clinical practice. The second part discusses medical doctors' requirements and the current nephrologic knowledge bases available for artificial intelligence development.

Quality of Death Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin: A Summary of Current Research, 1999. Vital and Health Statistics. Series 2: Data Evaluation and Methods Research. No. 128.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Health Statistics (DHHS/PHS), Hyattsville, MD.

This report summarizes current knowledge and research on the quality and reliability of death rates by race and Hispanic origin in official mortality statistics of the United States produced by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). It provides a quantitative assessment of bias in death rates by race and Hispanic origin and identifies…

[Bases and methods of suturing].

PubMed

Vogt, P M; Altintas, M A; Radtke, C; Meyer-Marcotty, M

2009-05-01

If pharmaceutic modulation of scar formation does not improve the quality of the healing process over conventional healing, the surgeon must rely on personal skill and experience. Therefore a profound knowledge of wound healing based on experimental and clinical studies supplemented by postsurgical means of scar management and basic techniques of planning incisions, careful tissue handling, and thorough knowledge of suturing remain the most important ways to avoid abnormal scarring. This review summarizes the current experimental and clinical bases of surgical scar management.

Cooling urban heat islands with sustainable landscapes

Treesearch

E. Gregory McPherson

1994-01-01

This paper is directed to the policy-makers who are responsible for urban design and its climatological consequences. It summarizes our current knowledge on the structure, energetics, and mitigation of the urban heat island. Special attention is given to physical features of the environment that can be easily manipulated, particularly vegetation. Prototypical designs...

Public Policy and Teacher Labor Markets. What We Know and Why It Matters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeb, Susanna; Reininger, Michelle

2004-01-01

This report summarizes current knowledge about the labor market for teachers and provides policy recommendations to enhance the supply of high-quality teachers. Many schools throughout the country, particularly those with low-income and low-achieving students, have difficulty attracting and retaining high-quality teachers. These schools…

Honor the Past. Then Get Over It

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swenson, Sue

2015-01-01

This speech was presented at a conference, the National Goals in Research, Policy, and Practice, held in Washington, DC, on August 6-7, 2015. The conference was a working meeting to summarize the current state of knowledge and identify a platform of national goals in research, practice, and policy in intellectual and developmental disabilities.…

Education of Students with Phenylketonuria (PKU): Information for Teachers, Administrators and Other School Personnel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Child Health and Human Development (NIH), Bethesda, MD.

This booklet summarizes current knowledge about phenylketonuria (PKU), an inherited condition that results in severe mental retardation if untreated, and discusses the psychoeducational implications of the condition. The introduction stresses the importance of early diagnosis (during the first days of life) and the effectiveness of a diet that…

Therapeutic issues of marijuana and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).

PubMed

Ungerleider, J T; Andrysiak, T

1985-05-01

This article summarizes current knowledge about the medicinal value of cannabis and its principal psychoactive ingredient, delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), particularly in the control of nausea and vomiting, in glaucoma, and in reduction of spasticity in multiple sclerosis. The major issues in the controversy about marijuana and medicine, primarily moral and ethical, are discussed.

Biological Soil Crust Technical Reference

Science.gov Websites

Technical Reference Our understanding of the biology, ecology and physiology of biological soil crusts has published studies on soil crusts. The attached PDF file is a 90-page report that summarizes our current state of knowledge about biological soil crusts, with emphasis on crusts found in the western United

A Systematic Review of Research on the Flipped Learning Method in Engineering Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabulut-Ilgu, Aliye; Jaramillo Cherrez, Nadia; Jahren, Charles T.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the current state of knowledge and practice in the flipped learning approach in engineering education and to provide guidance for practitioners by critically appraising and summarizing existing research. This article is a qualitative synthesis of quantitative and qualitative research investigating the…

The Northern Goshawk: Ecology and management: Proceedings of a symposium of the Cooper Ornithological Society

Treesearch

William M. Block; Michael L. Morrison; Hildegard Reiser

1994-01-01

This collection of 22 papers summarizes the current state of knowledge on Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis) within the scientific and management communities. The proceedings are presented in three sections. Research Approaches and Management Concepts contains overviews of research and management for goshawks, forest management to provide goshawk...

Methods, Chapter 4

Treesearch

L.H. Pardo; E.A. Lilleskov; L.H. Geiser; M.J. Robin-Abbott

2011-01-01

We present an up-to-date review of current knowledge relating nitrogen (N) inputs to ecological effects, from published literature, reports, and some recent unpublished studies. Our goal is to summarize research on ecosystems across the United States. We include N gradient, long-term, and fertilizer studies; for fertilizer studies, we focus on those with low N...

Current Research on Sleep and Dreams.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Mental Health (DHEW), Bethesda, MD.

This monograph summarizes an extensive body of sleep and dream research in order to indicate the major trends of work in this area. Although a mosaic of disciplines are represented, a spirit of cooperation has made it possible to knit together data which might have remained unrelated. The research reported here provides knowledge about: (1) the…

Molecular events in skeletal muscle during disuse atrophy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandarian, Susan C.; Stevenson, Eric J.

2002-01-01

This review summarizes the current knowledge of the molecular processes underlying skeletal muscle atrophy due to disuse. Because the processes involved with muscle wasting due to illness are similar to disuse, this literature is used for comparison. Areas that are ripe for further study and that will advance our understanding of muscle atrophy are suggested.

What We Don't Know.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazen, Robert M.

1997-01-01

Highlights the unanswered questions of science. Summarizes current leading research that demonstrates that those questions are inherently limited in scope, and the chain of discovery and human curiosity that drives the quest for knowledge shows not the slightest sign of ending. Argues that we have yet to recognize and ask many of the most profound…

Variations of Fathering: Implications for Social Policy. Single Fathers with Custody: Implications for Social Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Shirley May Harmon

This document summarizes current knowledge about single custodial fathers, and draws implications for social policy. Through a review of the literature, the following characteristics of single fathers are described: socioeconomic status, race, custody status, religion, age, employment, parental history, homemaking skills, motivation for custody,…

Effects and interactions of fire, logging, and grazing

Treesearch

Deborah M. Finch; Joseph L. Ganey; Wang Yong; Rebecca T. Kimball; Rex Sallabanks

1997-01-01

In this chapter, we summarize current knowledge about the effects of fire, logging, and grazing on coniferous forest birds and their habitats. We critically review the results of studies evaluating how these individual factors influence bird numbers, species diversity, nesting success, and habitat use in ponderosa pine forests. Documented and potential interactions...

Home Rx: The Health Benefits of Home Performance

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

Wilson, Jonathan; Jacobs, David; Reddy, Amanda

Evidence in a new, groundbreaking U.S. Department of Energy report, Home Rx: The Health Benefits of Home Performance, shows that home performance upgrades can improve the quality of a home’s indoor environment by reducing the prevalence of harmful indoor air pollutants and contaminants. Until recently, no systematic review of this evidence had been conducted, limiting full understanding of the link between home performance and health. This new report summarizes current knowledge and identifies research gaps. The design characteristics and results of each of the 40 studies considered in the report are summarized in a searchable matrix.

Skin appendage-derived stem cells: cell biology and potential for wound repair.

PubMed

Xie, Jiangfan; Yao, Bin; Han, Yutong; Huang, Sha; Fu, Xiaobing

2016-01-01

Stem cells residing in the epidermis and skin appendages are imperative for skin homeostasis and regeneration. These stem cells also participate in the repair of the epidermis after injuries, inducing restoration of tissue integrity and function of damaged tissue. Unlike epidermis-derived stem cells, comprehensive knowledge about skin appendage-derived stem cells remains limited. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of skin appendage-derived stem cells, including their fundamental characteristics, their preferentially expressed biomarkers, and their potential contribution involved in wound repair. Finally, we will also discuss current strategies, future applications, and limitations of these stem cells, attempting to provide some perspectives on optimizing the available therapy in cutaneous repair and regeneration.

Natural language processing-based COTS software and related technologies survey.

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

Stickland, Michael G.; Conrad, Gregory N.; Eaton, Shelley M.

Natural language processing-based knowledge management software, traditionally developed for security organizations, is now becoming commercially available. An informal survey was conducted to discover and examine current NLP and related technologies and potential applications for information retrieval, information extraction, summarization, categorization, terminology management, link analysis, and visualization for possible implementation at Sandia National Laboratories. This report documents our current understanding of the technologies, lists software vendors and their products, and identifies potential applications of these technologies.

Proteomic approach to nanotoxicity.

PubMed

Matysiak, Magdalena; Kapka-Skrzypczak, Lucyna; Brzóska, Kamil; Gutleb, Arno C; Kruszewski, Marcin

2016-03-30

In recent years a large number of engineered nanomaterials (NMs) have been developed with promising technical benefits for consumers and medical appliances. In addition to already known potentially advantageous biological properties (antibiotic, antifungal and antiviral activity) of NMs, many new medical applications of NMs are foreseen, such as drug carriers, contrast agents, radiopharmaceuticals and many others. However, there is increasing concern about potential environmental and health effects due to NMs exposure. An increasing body of evidence suggests that NMs may trigger undesirable hazardous interactions with biological systems with potential to generate harmful effects. In this review we summarized a current state of knowledge on the proteomics approaches to nanotoxicity, including protein corona formation, in vitro and in vivo effects of exposure to NMs on proteome of different classes of organisms, from bacteria and plants to mammals. The effects of NMs on the proteome of environmentally relevant organisms are also described. Despite the benefit that development of nanotechnology may bring to the society, there are still major gaps of knowledge on the influence of nanomaterials on human health and the environment. Thus, it seems necessary to conduct further interdisciplinary research to fill the knowledge gaps in NM toxicity, using more holistic approaches than offered by conventional biological techniques. “OMICS” techniques will certainly help researchers in this field. In this paper we summarized the current stage of knowledge of the effects of nanoparticles on the proteome of different organisms, including those commonly used as an environmentally relevant indicator organisms.

Current Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Myocardial Fibrosis and Its Quantitative Assessment in Heart Failure

PubMed Central

Liu, Tong; Song, Deli; Dong, Jianzeng; Zhu, Pinghui; Liu, Jie; Liu, Wei; Ma, Xiaohai; Zhao, Lei; Ling, Shukuan

2017-01-01

Myocardial fibrosis is an important part of cardiac remodeling that leads to heart failure and death. Myocardial fibrosis results from increased myofibroblast activity and excessive extracellular matrix deposition. Various cells and molecules are involved in this process, providing targets for potential drug therapies. Currently, the main detection methods of myocardial fibrosis rely on serum markers, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and endomyocardial biopsy. This review summarizes our current knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, quantitative assessment, and novel therapeutic strategies of myocardial fibrosis. PMID:28484397

The Dialectics of African Education and Western Discourses: Counter-Hegemonic Perspectives. Black Studies and Critical Thinking. Volume 21

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Handel Kashope, Ed.; Abdi, Ali A., Ed.

2012-01-01

"The Dialectics of African Education and Western Discourses" addresses how continental Africans who have worked or are currently working in the Canadian academy address their dual legacy of African and Euro-American knowledge paradigms. Reflecting a range of approaches to hegemonic Euro-American paradigms that can be summarized as…

Wide extragalactic (sub-)millimeter surveys with SCUBA and AzTEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aretxaga, I.; Hughes, D. H.; SHADES Collaboration; AzTEC Collaboration

2009-05-01

We summarize the present status of our knowledge of the millimeter galaxy population derived from extensive (sub-) millimeter extragalactic surveys like the SCUBA HAlf Degree Survey (SHADES), and the current status of the next generation of surveys traced with the AzTEC camera, that has, so far, surveyed more than 2 degrees at 1.1wavelengths.

Effects of plantation and juvenile spacing on tree and stand development.

Treesearch

J. Harry G. Smith; Donald L. Reukema

1986-01-01

The aim of this paper is to summarize current knowledge of effects of initial spacing and respacing of plantations and natural stands on early growth until the time of first commercial entry—for coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco), concentrating on conclusions that can be drawn from the literature and the authors...

Mental Health among Children and Young Adults with Visual Impairments: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augestad, Liv Berit

2017-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to summarize current scientific knowledge relating to the occurrence of mood disorders among children with visual impairments. Methods: A systematic review was conducted of articles published between January1998 and July 2016, inclusive. A total of 17 publications met the inclusion criteria, of which 15…

Global change in forests: responses of species, communities, and biomes

Treesearch

Andrew J. Hansen; Ronald P. Neilson; Virginia H. Dale; Curtis H. Flather; Louis R. Iverson; David J. Currie; Sarah Shafer; Rosamonde Cook; Partick J. Bartlein

2001-01-01

This article serves as a primer on forest biodiversity as a key component of global change. We first synthesize current knowledge of interactions among climate, land use, and biodiversity. We then summarize the results of new analyses on the potential effects of human-induced climate change on forest biodiversity. Our models project how possible future climates may...

Lightning protection of aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, F. A.; Plumer, J. A.

1977-01-01

The current knowledge concerning potential lightning effects on aircraft and the means that are available to designers and operators to protect against these effects are summarized. The increased use of nonmetallic materials in the structure of aircraft and the constant trend toward using electronic equipment to handle flight-critical control and navigation functions have served as impetus for this study.

Modular plant culture systems for life support functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The current state of knowledge with regard to culture of higher plants in the zero-G environment is assessed; and concepts for the empirical development of small plant growth chambers for the production of salad type vegetables on space shuttle or space station are evaluated. American and Soviet space flight experiences in gravitational biology are summarized.

The Brain-Compatible Classroom: Using What We Know about Learning To Improve Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erlauer, Laura

This book summarizes current brain research and shows how teachers can use this knowledge in the classroom every day. It explores how the brain works, how students' emotions and stress affect their ability to learn, how the physical classroom environment influences learning, and what forms of assessment work best. An introduction discusses the…

Nuclear winter - Physics and physical mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turco, R. P.; Toon, O. B.; Pollack, J. B.; Ackerman, T. P.; Sagan, C.

1991-01-01

The basic physics of the environmental perturbations caused by multiple nuclear detonations is explored, summarizing current knowledge of the possible physical, chemical, and biological impacts of nuclear war. Emphasis is given to the impact of the bomb-generated smoke (soot) particles. General classes of models that have been used to simulate nuclear winter are examined, using specific models as examples.

Peer-Led Nutrition Education Programs for School-Aged Youth: A Systematic Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yip, Calvin; Gates, Michelle; Gates, Allison; Hanning, Rhona M.

2016-01-01

To date, the impacts of school-based, peer-led nutrition education initiatives have not been summarized or assessed collectively. This review presents the current evidence, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for future research. PubMed, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar were searched for refereed Canadian and American primary…

Abnormal Patterns of Tongue-Palate Contact in the Speech of Individuals with Cleft Palate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibbon, Fiona

2004-01-01

Individuals with cleft palate, even those with adequate velopharyngeal function, are at high risk for disordered lingual articulation. This article attempts to summarize current knowledge of abnormal tongue-palate contact patterns derived from electropalatographic (EPG) data in speakers with cleft palate. These data, which have been reported in 23…

Report of the Surgeon General's Workshop on Children with HIV Infection and Their Families (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 6-9, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverman, Benjamin K., Ed.; Waddell, Anthony, Ed.

This publication summarizes current knowledge about Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in children and recommends future directions for research, prevention, and amelioration of the effects of pediatric AIDS. After an excerpt from Surgeon General Koop's keynote address, contents provide selections from workshop presentations concerning (1)…

Developmental and benign movement disorders in childhood.

PubMed

Bonnet, Cecilia; Roubertie, Agathe; Doummar, Diane; Bahi-Buisson, Nadia; Cochen de Cock, Valérie; Roze, Emmanuel

2010-07-30

Developmental and benign movement disorders are a group of movement disorders with onset in the neonatal period, infancy, or childhood. They are characterized by the absence of associated neurological manifestations and by their favorable outcome, although developmental abnormalities can be occasionally observed. Knowledge of the clinical, neurophysiological, and pathogenetic aspects of these disorders is poor. Based on a comprehensive review of the literature and our practical experience, this article summarizes current knowledge in this area. We pay special attention to the recognition and management of these movement disorders in children. (c) 2010 Movement Disorder Society.

Major review: Exfoliation syndrome; advances in disease genetics, molecular biology, and epidemiology.

PubMed

Aboobakar, Inas F; Johnson, William M; Stamer, W Daniel; Hauser, Michael A; Allingham, R Rand

2017-01-01

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a common age-related disorder that leads to deposition of extracellular fibrillar material throughout the body. The most recognized disease manifestation is exfoliation glaucoma (XFG), which is a common cause of blindness worldwide. Recent developments in XFS genetics, cell biology and epidemiology have greatly improved our understanding of the etiology of this complex inherited disease. This review summarizes current knowledge of XFS pathogenesis, identifies gaps in knowledge, and discusses areas for future research. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

State-of-the-art technologies, current opinions and developments, and novel findings: news from the field of histochemistry and cell biology.

PubMed

Asan, Esther; Drenckhahn, Detlev

2008-12-01

Investigations of cell and tissue structure and function using innovative methods and approaches have again yielded numerous exciting findings in recent months and have added important data to current knowledge, inspiring new ideas and hypotheses in various fields of modern life sciences. Topics and contents of comprehensive expert reviews covering different aspects in methodological advances, cell biology, tissue function and morphology, and novel findings reported in original papers are summarized in the present review.

Novel targets for prostate cancer chemoprevention

PubMed Central

Sarkar, Fazlul H; Li, Yiwei; Wang, Zhiwei; Kong, Dejuan

2010-01-01

Among many endocrine-related cancers, prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent male malignancy, and it is the second most common cause of cancer-related death in men in the United States. Therefore, this review focuses on summarizing the knowledge of molecular signaling pathways in PCa because, in order to better design new preventive strategies for the fight against PCa, documentation of the knowledge on the pathogenesis of PCa at the molecular level is very important. Cancer cells are known to have alterations in multiple cellular signaling pathways; indeed, the development and the progression of PCa are known to be caused by the deregulation of several selective signaling pathways such as the androgen receptor, Akt, nuclear factor-κB, Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch. Therefore, strategies targeting these important pathways and their upstream and downstream signaling could be promising for the prevention of PCa progression. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the alterations in cell signaling pathways during the development and progression of PCa, and document compelling evidence showing that these are the targets of several natural agents against PCa progression and its metastases. PMID:20576802

Pemphigus and smoking- insights from a big data analysis.

PubMed

Kridin, Khalaf; Comaneshter, Doron; Batat, Erez; Cohen, Arnon D

2018-04-28

We have read with great interest the manuscript written by Lai et al.(1). The authors performed a systematic review and pooled-analysis aiming to summarize the current knowledge regarding the prevalence of smoking among patients with pemphigus relative to control subjects. By summarizing the findings of 13 observational studies comprising 3046 pemphigus patients, a pooled OR of 0.9 (95% CI, 0.82-0.99; P<0.05) was revealed indicating that smoking may exert a protective effect against the development of pemphigus(1). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Educational interventions to advance children's scientific thinking.

PubMed

Klahr, David; Zimmerman, Corinne; Jirout, Jamie

2011-08-19

The goal of science education interventions is to nurture, enrich, and sustain children's natural and spontaneous interest in scientific knowledge and procedures. We present taxonomy for classifying different types of research on scientific thinking from the perspective of cognitive development and associated attempts to teach science. We summarize the literature on the early--unschooled--development of scientific thinking, and then focus on recent research on how best to teach science to children from preschool to middle school. We summarize some of the current disagreements in the field of science education and offer some suggestions on ways to continue to advance the science of science instruction.

Addressing the Needs of Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System: The Current Status of Evidence-Based Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mears, Daniel P.; Aron, Laudan; Bernstein, Jenny

This report summarizes the state of knowledge about children and youth with disabilities at risk of delinquency or already involved with the juvenile justice system. It reviews the existing research as well as perspectives of service providers, administrators, policy makers, and advocates. Following an executive summary and introductory chapter,…

A Review of Virtual Character's Emotion Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhen

2008-11-01

Emotional virtual characters are essential to digital entertainment, an emotion is related to virtual environment and a virtual character's inner variables, emotion model of virtual character is a hot topic in many fields, domain knowledge is very important for modeling emotion, and the current research of emotion expression in the world was also summarized, and some new research directions of emotion model are presented.

Matrix metalloproteinases in the brain and blood–brain barrier: Versatile breakers and makers

PubMed Central

Rempe, Ralf G; Hartz, Anika MS

2016-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases are versatile endopeptidases with many different functions in the body in health and disease. In the brain, matrix metalloproteinases are critical for tissue formation, neuronal network remodeling, and blood–brain barrier integrity. Many reviews have been published on matrix metalloproteinases before, most of which focus on the two best studied matrix metalloproteinases, the gelatinases MMP-2 and MMP-9, and their role in one or two diseases. In this review, we provide a broad overview of the role various matrix metalloproteinases play in brain disorders. We summarize and review current knowledge and understanding of matrix metalloproteinases in the brain and at the blood–brain barrier in neuroinflammation, multiple sclerosis, cerebral aneurysms, stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and brain cancer. We discuss the detrimental effects matrix metalloproteinases can have in these conditions, contributing to blood–brain barrier leakage, neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, demyelination, tumor angiogenesis, and cancer metastasis. We also discuss the beneficial role matrix metalloproteinases can play in neuroprotection and anti-inflammation. Finally, we address matrix metalloproteinases as potential therapeutic targets. Together, in this comprehensive review, we summarize current understanding and knowledge of matrix metalloproteinases in the brain and at the blood–brain barrier in brain disorders. PMID:27323783

Silver nanoparticles: A new view on mechanistic aspects on antimicrobial activity.

PubMed

Durán, Nelson; Durán, Marcela; de Jesus, Marcelo Bispo; Seabra, Amedea B; Fávaro, Wagner J; Nakazato, Gerson

2016-04-01

Silver nanoparticles are well known potent antimicrobial agents. Although significant progresses have been achieved on the elucidation of antimicrobial mechanism of silver nanoparticles, the exact mechanism of action is still not completely known. This overview incorporates a retrospective of previous reviews published and recent original contributions on the progress of research on antimicrobial mechanisms of silver nanoparticles. The main topics discussed include release of silver nanoparticles and silver ions, cell membrane damage, DNA interaction, free radical generation, bacterial resistance and the relationship of resistance to silver ions versus resistance to silver nanoparticles. The focus of the overview is to summarize the current knowledge in the field of antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles. The possibility that pathogenic microbes may develop resistance to silver nanoparticles is also discussed. Antibacterial effect of nanoscopic silver generated a lot of interest both in research projects and in practical applications. However, the exact mechanism is still will have to be elucidated. This overview incorporates a retrospective of previous reviews published from 2007 to 2013 and recent original contributions on the progress of research on antimicrobial mechanisms to summarize our current knowledge in the field of antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Origin and initiation mechanisms of neuroblastoma.

PubMed

Tsubota, Shoma; Kadomatsu, Kenji

2018-05-01

Neuroblastoma is an embryonal malignancy that affects normal development of the adrenal medulla and paravertebral sympathetic ganglia in early childhood. Extensive studies have revealed the molecular characteristics of human neuroblastomas, including abnormalities at genome, epigenome and transcriptome levels. However, neuroblastoma initiation mechanisms and even its origin are long-standing mysteries. In this review article, we summarize the current knowledge about normal development of putative neuroblastoma sources, namely sympathoadrenal lineage of neural crest cells and Schwann cell precursors that were recently identified as the source of adrenal chromaffin cells. A plausible origin of enigmatic stage 4S neuroblastoma is also discussed. With regard to the initiation mechanisms, we review genetic abnormalities in neuroblastomas and their possible association to initiation mechanisms. We also summarize evidences of neuroblastoma initiation observed in genetically engineered animal models, in which epigenetic alterations were involved, including transcriptomic upregulation by N-Myc and downregulation by polycomb repressive complex 2. Finally, several in vitro experimental methods are proposed that hopefully will accelerate our comprehension of neuroblastoma initiation. Thus, this review summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge about the mechanisms of neuroblastoma initiation, which is critical for developing new strategies to cure children with neuroblastoma.

[Adjuvants in modern anesthesia - magnesium].

PubMed

Picardi, Susanne; Lirk, Philipp; Blobner, Manfred; Schönherr, Marianne E; Hollmann, Markus W

2015-06-01

Magnesium plays a key role in many cellular functions and there is growing interest in its role in perioperative medicine. While experimental studies provided promising results for several disease states, clinical trials mainly gave conflicting results. This review article summarizes current knowledge on the homeostasis of magnesium as well as on its proposed indications and recommendations in the clinical setting. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York.

Quorum signaling and sensing by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae.

PubMed

Swords, W Edward

2012-01-01

Quorum signals are diffusible factors produced by bacteria that coordinate communal responses. For nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a series of recent papers indicate that production and sensing of quorum signals are determinants of biofilm formation/maturation and persistence in vivo. In this mini-review I will summarize the current knowledge about quorum signaling/sensing by this organism, and identify specific topics for additional study.

Quorum signaling and sensing by nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae

PubMed Central

Swords, W. Edward

2012-01-01

Quorum signals are diffusible factors produced by bacteria that coordinate communal responses. For nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi), a series of recent papers indicate that production and sensing of quorum signals are determinants of biofilm formation/maturation and persistence in vivo. In this mini-review I will summarize the current knowledge about quorum signaling/sensing by this organism, and identify specific topics for additional study. PMID:22919689

Children, Families and Poverty: Definitions, Trends, Emerging Science and Implications for Policy. Social Policy Report. Volume 26, Number 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aber, Lawrence; Morris, Pamela; Raver, Cybele

2012-01-01

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to address the topic of children and poverty in the U.S., given current scientific knowledge about poverty's influence on children and effective strategies to mitigate its negative impact. In this report, we summarize the best available information on definitions and trends in child poverty, policy responses to…

Fats in Foods: Current Evidence for Dietary Advice.

PubMed

Nettleton, Joyce A; Brouwer, Ingeborg A; Mensink, Ronald P; Diekman, Connie; Hornstra, Gerard

2018-01-01

Current discussion of the importance of food fats in the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) often suffers from preconceptions, misunderstandings, insufficient knowledge, and selective reasoning. As a result, the sustained controversy about dietary fat recommendations can be contradictory and confusing. To clarify some of these issues, the International Expert Movement to Improve Dietary Fat Quality in cooperation with the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) organized a symposium at the 21st meeting of the IUNS, October 17, 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina, to summarize the key scientific evidence underlying the controversy on the relationship between the saturated and unsaturated fat consumption and CHD risk. Presenters also discussed, using examples, the rationale for and implications of the partial replacement of foods rich in saturated fats by those rich in unsaturated fats. Presentations included strategies to fit healthier fats into meals. This report summarizes the symposium presentations. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Current Applications of Chromatographic Methods in the Study of Human Body Fluids for Diagnosing Disorders.

PubMed

Jóźwik, Jagoda; Kałużna-Czaplińska, Joanna

2016-01-01

Currently, analysis of various human body fluids is one of the most essential and promising approaches to enable the discovery of biomarkers or pathophysiological mechanisms for disorders and diseases. Analysis of these fluids is challenging due to their complex composition and unique characteristics. Development of new analytical methods in this field has made it possible to analyze body fluids with higher selectivity, sensitivity, and precision. The composition and concentration of analytes in body fluids are most often determined by chromatography-based techniques. There is no doubt that proper use of knowledge that comes from a better understanding of the role of body fluids requires the cooperation of scientists of diverse specializations, including analytical chemists, biologists, and physicians. This article summarizes current knowledge about the application of different chromatographic methods in analyses of a wide range of compounds in human body fluids in order to diagnose certain diseases and disorders.

Climate change impacts in Iran: assessing our current knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, Jaber; Malekian, Arash; Khalili, Ali

2018-02-01

During recent years, various studies have focused on investigating the direct and indirect impacts of climate changes in Iran while the noteworthy fact is the achievement gained by these researches. Furthermore, what should be taken into consideration is whether these studies have been able to provide appropriate opportunities for improving further studies in this particular field or not. To address these questions, this study systematically reviewed and summarized the current available literature (n = 150) regarding the impacts of climate change on temperature and precipitation in Iran to assess our current state of knowledge. The results revealed that while all studies discuss the probable changes in temperature and precipitation over the next decades, serious contradictions could be seen in their results; also, the general pattern of changes was different in most of the cases. This matter may have a significant effect on public beliefs in climate change, which can be a serious warning for the activists in this realm.

Management of newborn infant born to mother suffering from tuberculosis: current recommendations & gaps in knowledge.

PubMed

Mittal, Hema; Das, Saurabhi; Faridi, M M A

2014-07-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global disease with increase in concern with growing morbidity and mortality after drug resistance and co-infection with HIV. Mother to neonatal transmission of disease is well known. Current recommendations regarding management of newborns of mothers with tuberculosis are variable in different countries and have large gaps in the knowledge and practices. We compare and summarize here current recommendations on management of infants born to mothers with tuberculosis. Congenital tuberculosis is diagnosed by Cantwell criteria and treatment includes three or four anti-tubercular drug regimen. Prophylaxis with isoniazid (3-6 months) is recommended in neonates born to mother with TB who are infectious. Breastfeeding should be continued in these neonates and isolation is recommended only till mother is infectious, has multidrug resistant tuberculosis or non adherent to treatment. BCG vaccine is recommended at birth or after completion of prophylaxis (3-6 months) in all neonates.

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes

PubMed Central

Leypoldt, F; Wandinger, K-P

2014-01-01

Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes are immune-mediated erroneous attacks on the central or peripheral nervous systems, or both, directed originally against the tumour itself. They have been known for more than 40 years, but recently the discovery of new subgroups of paraneoplastic encephalitis syndromes with a remarkably good response to immune therapy has ignited new clinical and scientific interest. Knowledge of these subgroups and their associated autoantibodies is important in therapeutic decision-making. However, the abundance of new autoantibodies and syndromes can be confusing. This review paper summarizes current knowledge and new developments in the field of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes, their classification, pathophysiology and treatment. PMID:23937626

An overview of expert systems. [artificial intelligence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gevarter, W. B.

1982-01-01

An expert system is defined and its basic structure is discussed. The knowledge base, the inference engine, and uses of expert systems are discussed. Architecture is considered, including choice of solution direction, reasoning in the presence of uncertainty, searching small and large search spaces, handling large search spaces by transforming them and by developing alternative or additional spaces, and dealing with time. Existing expert systems are reviewed. Tools for building such systems, construction, and knowledge acquisition and learning are discussed. Centers of research and funding sources are listed. The state-of-the-art, current problems, required research, and future trends are summarized.

Activating the knowledge-to-action cycle for geriatric care in India

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Despite a rapidly aging population, geriatrics - the branch of medicine that focuses on healthcare of the elderly - is relatively new in India, with many practicing physicians having little knowledge of the clinical and functional implications of aging. Negative attitudes and limited awareness, knowledge or acceptance of geriatrics as a legitimate discipline contribute to inaccessible and poor quality care for India's old. The aim of this paper is to argue that knowledge translation is a potentially effective tool for engaging Indian healthcare providers in the delivery of high quality geriatric care. The paper describes India's context, including demographics, challenges and current policies, summarizes evidence on provider behaviour change, and integrates the two in order to propose an action plan for promoting improvements in geriatric care. PMID:22136552

Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiments

DOE PAGES

Diwan, M. V.; Galymov, V.; Qian, X.; ...

2016-10-19

We review long-baseline neutrino experiments in which neutrinos are detected after traversing macroscopic distances. Over such distances neutrinos have been found to oscillate among flavor states. Experiments with solar, atmospheric, reactor, and accelerator neutrinos have resulted in a coherent picture of neutrino masses and mixing of the three known flavor states. We will summarize the current best knowledge of neutrino parameters and phenomenology with our focus on the evolution of the experimental technique. We will proceed from the rst evidence produced by astrophysical neutrino sources to the current open questions and the goals of future research

Thermophysical and tribological properties of nanolubricants: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotia, Ankit; Rajkhowa, Pranami; Rao, Gogineni Satyanarayana; Ghosh, Subrata Kumar

2018-05-01

Recent studies in heat transfer evident that the nanofluid shows better heat transfer results as compared to base fluid. This influences the research community for the dispersion of nanoparticles in lubricants to enhance its thermophysical and tribological properties and these suspensions are termed as Nanolubricants. This review focuses on the effect of nanoparticle additives on thermophysical and tribological properties of base lubricant. Initial section briefly summarizes the variation in thermophysical properties namely viscosity, thermal conductivity, density and specific heat of nanolubricants. In later section, the coefficient of friction and anti-wear properties of nanolubricants are summarized. This review along with the replenishment of current knowledge, also discusses the fundamental mechanisms that evolve with the dispersion of nanoparticles.

Dengue: Knowledge gaps, unmet needs and research priorities

PubMed Central

Katzelnick, Leah C.; Coloma, Josefina; Harris, Eva

2018-01-01

Summary Dengue virus (DENV) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that causes up to ~100 million dengue cases each year, placing a major public health, social and economic burden on numerous low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Major advances by scientists, vaccine developers, and affected communities are revealing new insights and enabling novel interventions and approaches to dengue prevention and control. Such research has highlighted further questions about both the basic understanding of dengue and efforts to develop new tools. We discuss existing approaches to dengue diagnostics, disease prognosis, surveillance, and vector control in LMICs as well as potential consequences of vaccine introduction. We also summarize current knowledge and recent insights into dengue epidemiology, immunology, and pathogenesis, and their implications for understanding natural infection and current and future vaccines. PMID:28185868

Microbial ecology of corals, sponges, and algae in mesophotic coral environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olson, Julie B.; Kellogg, Christina A.

2010-01-01

Mesophotic coral ecosystems that occur at depths from 30 to 200 m have historically been understudied and yet appear to support a diverse biological community. The microbiology of these systems is particularly poorly understood, especially with regard to the communities associated with corals, sponges, and algae. This lack of information is partly due to the problems associated with gaining access to these environments and poor reproducibility across sampling methods. To summarize what is known about the microbiology of these ecosystems and to highlight areas where research is urgently needed, an overview of the current state of knowledge is presented. Emphasis is placed on the characterization of microbial populations, both prokaryotic and eukaryotic, associated with corals, sponges, and algae and the factors that influence microbial community structure. In topic areas where virtually nothing is known from mesophotic environments, the knowledge pertaining to shallow-water ecosystems is summarized to provide a starting point for a discussion on what might be expected in the mesophotic zone.

Peer-led nutrition education programs for school-aged youth: a systematic review of the literature

PubMed Central

Yip, Calvin; Gates, Michelle; Gates, Allison; Hanning, Rhona M.

2016-01-01

To date, the impacts of school-based, peer-led nutrition education initiatives have not been summarized or assessed collectively. This review presents the current evidence, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for future research. PubMed, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar were searched for refereed Canadian and American primary studies published between January 2000 and November 2013, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Seventeen articles (11 programs) from Canada (24%) and the United States (76%) were identified. The results were summarized in terms of the study population, program design and main outcomes. Common outcome measures included healthy eating knowledge (n = 5), self-efficacy or attitudes towards healthy eating (n = 13), dietary measures (n = 9) and body mass index (n = 4), all of which tended to improve as a result of the programs. More research is needed to ascertain the effect of improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes towards healthy eating on food behaviors. When evaluated, programs were generally well received, while the long-term maintenance of positive impacts was a challenge. Studies of sustainability and feasibility to promote long-term impact are a logical next step. PMID:26661724

Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in cats: Current knowledge and future potential.

PubMed

Quimby, Jessica M; Borjesson, Dori L

2018-03-01

Practical relevance: Stem cell therapy is an innovative field of scientific investigation with tremendous potential for clinical application in veterinary medicine. Based on the known desirable immunomodulatory properties of mesenchymal stem cells, this therapy holds promise for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases in cats. This review details our current understanding of feline stem cell biology and proposed mechanism of action. Studies performed in feline clinical trials for diseases including gingivostomatitis, chronic enteropathy, asthma and kidney disease are summarized, with the goal of providing an overview of the current status of this treatment modality and its potential for the future.

Autonomous dexterous end-effectors for space robotics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bekey, George A.; Iberall, Thea; Liu, Huan

1989-01-01

The development of a knowledge-based controller is summarized for the Belgrade/USC robot hand, a five-fingered end effector, designed for maximum autonomy. The biological principles of the hand and its architecture are presented. The conceptual and software aspects of the grasp selection system are discussed, including both the effects of the geometry of the target object and the task to be performed. Some current research issues are presented.

Glycated albumin: from biochemistry and laboratory medicine to clinical practice.

PubMed

Dozio, Elena; Di Gaetano, Nicola; Findeisen, Peter; Corsi Romanelli, Massimiliano Marco

2017-03-01

This review summarizes current knowledge about glycated albumin. We review the changes induced by glycation on the properties of albumin, the pathological implications of high glycated albumin levels, glycated albumin quantification methods, and the use of glycated albumin as a complementary biomarker for diabetes mellitus diagnosis and monitoring and for dealing with long-term complications. The advantages and limits of this biomarker in different clinical settings are also discussed.

Fetal and Infant Nutrition and Susceptibility to Obesity: Summary of a Workshop (Washington, D. C., February 28 and March 1, 1977).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, Washington, DC. Food and Nutrition Board.

This report summarizes the proceedings of a workshop designed to review the current state of knowledge on prenatal and early postnatal determinants of obesity, and to identify areas for further research. The workshop was sponsored by the Committee on Nutrition of the Mother and Preschool Child, Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of…

Status and ecology of Mexican spotted owls in the Upper Gila Mountains recovery unit, Arizona and New Mexico

Treesearch

Joseph L. Ganey; James P. Ward; David W. Willey

2011-01-01

This report summarizes current knowledge on the status and ecology of the Mexican spotted owl within the Upper Gila Mountains Recovery Unit (UGM RU). It was written at the request of U.S. Forest Service personnel involved in the Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a collaborative, landscape-scale restoration effort covering approximately 2.4 million ac (1...

What is the best clothing to prevent heat and cold stress? Experiences with thermal manikin.

PubMed

Magyar, Z; Tamas, R

2013-02-01

The present study summarizes the current knowledge of the heat and cold stress which might significantly affect military activities and might also occur among travellers who are not well adapted to weather variations during their journey. The selection of the best clothing is a very important factor in preserving thermal comfort. Our experiences with thermal manikin are also represented in this paper.

Composition, structure, physicochemical properties, and modifications of cassava starch.

PubMed

Zhu, Fan

2015-05-20

Cassava is highly tolerant to harsh climatic conditions and has great productivity on marginal lands. The supply of cassava starch, the major component of the root, is thus sustainable and cheap. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the composition, physical and chemical structures, physicochemical properties, nutritional quality, and modifications of cassava starch. Research opportunities to better understand this starch are provided. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Distribution and status of redband trout in the interior Columbia river basin and portions of the Klamath river and great basins

Treesearch

Russell F. Thurow; Bruce E. Rieman; Danny C. Lee; Philip J. Howell; Raymon D. Perkinson

2007-01-01

We summarized existing knowledge (circa 1996) of the potential historical range and the current distribution and status of non-anadromous interior redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp. in the U.S. portion of the interior Columbia River Basin and portions of the Klamath River and Great Basins (ICRB). We estimated that the potential historical range included 5,458...

[Subclinical hyperthyroidism].

PubMed

Tomkowicz, Aneta; Bednarek-Tupikowska, Grazyna

2011-01-01

Subclinical hyperthyroidism is a clinical condition with a laboratory diagnosis defined as a suppressed below the normal range TSH level and normal free thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels. The condition is frequently recognized but its long-term clinical consequences are constantly debated. There is little good evidence available to guide the management of patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism. This review summarizes current state of knowledge on the prevalence, aetiology, clinical consequences and treatment of subclinical hypertyroidism.

Genotoxicity and carcinogenicity of cobalt-, nickel- and copper-based nanoparticles

PubMed Central

MAGAYE, RUTH; ZHAO, JINSHUN; BOWMAN, LINDA; DING, MIN

2012-01-01

The nanotechnology industry has matured and expanded at a rapid pace in the last decade, leading to the research and development of nanomaterials with enormous potential. The largest source of these nanomaterials is the transitional metals. It has been revealed that numerous properties of these nano-sized elements are not present in their bulk states. The nano size of these particles means they are easily transported into biological systems, thus, raising the question of their effects on the susceptible systems. Although advances have been made and insights have been gained on the effect of transitional metals on susceptible biological systems, there still is much ground to be covered, particularly with respect to our knowledge on the genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. Therefore, this review intends to summarize the current knowledge on the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of cobalt-, nickel- and copper-based nanoparticles indicated in in vitro and in vivo mammalian studies. In the present review, we briefly state the sources, use and exposure routes of these nanoparticles and summarize the current literature findings on their in vivo and in vitro genotoxic and carcinogenic effects. Due to the increasing evidence of their role in carcinogenicity, we have also included studies that have reported epigenetic factors, such as abnormal apoptosis, enhanced oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory effects involving these nanoparticles. PMID:23170105

Female genital cosmetic surgery: a critical review of current knowledge and contemporary debates.

PubMed

Braun, Virginia

2010-07-01

Female genital cosmetic surgery procedures have gained popularity in the West in recent years. Marketing by surgeons promotes the surgeries, but professional organizations have started to question the promotion and practice of these procedures. Despite some surgeon claims of drastic transformations of psychological, emotional, and sexual life associated with the surgery, little reliable evidence of such effects exists. This article achieves two objectives. First, reviewing the published academic work on the topic, it identifies the current state of knowledge around female genital cosmetic procedures, as well as limitations in our knowledge. Second, examining a body of critical scholarship that raises sociological and psychological concerns not typically addressed in medical literature, it summarizes broader issues and debates. Overall, the article demonstrates a paucity of scientific knowledge and highlights a pressing need to consider the broader ramifications of surgical practices. "Today we have a whole society held in thrall to the drastic plastic of labial rejuvenation."( 1 ) "At the present time, the field of female cosmetic genital surgery is like the old Wild, Wild West: wide open and unregulated"( 2 ).

Controlling legs for locomotion-insights from robotics and neurobiology.

PubMed

Buschmann, Thomas; Ewald, Alexander; von Twickel, Arndt; Büschges, Ansgar

2015-06-29

Walking is the most common terrestrial form of locomotion in animals. Its great versatility and flexibility has led to many attempts at building walking machines with similar capabilities. The control of walking is an active research area both in neurobiology and robotics, with a large and growing body of work. This paper gives an overview of the current knowledge on the control of legged locomotion in animals and machines and attempts to give walking control researchers from biology and robotics an overview of the current knowledge in both fields. We try to summarize the knowledge on the neurobiological basis of walking control in animals, emphasizing common principles seen in different species. In a section on walking robots, we review common approaches to walking controller design with a slight emphasis on biped walking control. We show where parallels between robotic and neurobiological walking controllers exist and how robotics and biology may benefit from each other. Finally, we discuss where research in the two fields diverges and suggest ways to bridge these gaps.

Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Haas, Ann P.; Eliason, Mickey; Mays, Vickie M.; Mathy, Robin M.; Cochran, Susan D.; D'Augelli, Anthony R.; Silverman, Morton M.; Fisher, Prudence W.; Hughes, Tonda; Rosario, Margaret; Russell, Stephen T.; Malley, Effie; Reed, Jerry; Litts, David A.; Haller, Ellen; Sell, Randall L.; Remafedi, Gary; Bradford, Judith; Beautrais, Annette L.; Brown, Gregory K.; Diamond, Gary M.; Friedman, Mark S.; Garofalo, Robert; Turner, Mason S.; Hollibaugh, Amber; Clayton, Paula J.

2011-01-01

Despite strong indications of elevated risk of suicidal behavior in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, limited attention has been given to research, interventions or suicide prevention programs targeting these populations. This article is a culmination of a three-year effort by an expert panel to address the need for better understanding of suicidal behavior and suicide risk in sexual minority populations, and stimulate the development of needed prevention strategies, interventions and policy changes. This article summarizes existing research findings, and makes recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps and applying current knowledge to relevant areas of suicide prevention practice. PMID:21213174

Stereotactically Standard Areas: Applied Mathematics in the Service of Brain Targeting in Deep Brain Stimulation.

PubMed

Mavridis, Ioannis N

2017-12-11

The concept of stereotactically standard areas (SSAs) within human brain nuclei belongs to the knowledge of the modern field of stereotactic brain microanatomy. These are areas resisting the individual variability of the nuclear location in stereotactic space. This paper summarizes the current knowledge regarding SSAs. A mathematical formula of SSAs was recently invented, allowing for their robust, reproducible, and accurate application to laboratory studies and clinical practice. Thus, SSAs open new doors for the application of stereotactic microanatomy to highly accurate brain targeting, which is mainly useful for minimally invasive neurosurgical procedures, such as deep brain stimulation.

Evaluation of the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC

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

Stockman, Christine; Bryan, Charles R.

2016-02-02

This report fulfills the M3 milestone M3FT-15SN0802042, “Evaluate the Frequencies for Canister Inspections for SCC” under Work Package FT-15SN080204, “ST Field Demonstration Support – SNL”. It reviews the current state of knowledge on the potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of dry storage canisters and evaluates the implications of this state of knowledge on the establishment of an SCC inspection frequency. Models for the prediction of SCC by the Japanese Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the United States (U.S.) Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) are summarized, and their limitations discussed.

[Vegetables as new psychoactive drugs: a narrative review].

PubMed

Rodríguez Salgado, Beatriz; Gómez-Arnau Ramírez, Jorge; Sánchez Mateos, Daniel; Dolengevich Segal, Helen

2016-01-21

There is growing interest in plants with psychoactive effects among consumers with different levels of experience. This has generated a need for updated knowledge among medical professionals and other health workers. These plants, which may be used in shamanic healing ceremonies or rituals or just for traditional purposes, have emerged in the Western world as new psychoactive drugs; largely thanks to the ease of purchase, sale, cultivation and exchange of information that the Internet offers. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the most important psychoactive plants, either by their mention in Internet forums or harm-reduction portals or by their allusion in scientific texts.

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 29: The US government technical report and the transfer of federally funded aerospace R and D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

This article discusses the U.S. government technical report and the transfer of federally funded aerospace research and development in a conceptual framework of the federal government as a producer of scientific and technical information. The article summarizes current literature and research and discusses U.S. government technical report use and the importance of using data obtained from the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. The authors make a case for changing existing U.S. technology policy and present a research agenda for the U.S. government technical report.

[Long QT syndrome. History, genetics, clinical symptoms, causes and therapy].

PubMed

Krönauer, T; Friederich, P

2015-08-01

The long QT syndrome is caused by a change in cardiac repolarization due to functional ion channel defects. A differentiation is made between a congenital (cLQTS) and an acquired (aLQTS) form of the disease. The disease results in the name-giving prolongation of the QT interval in the electrocardiogram and represents a predisposition for cardiac arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the history, pathophysiology, clinical symptoms and therapy of cLQTS and aLQTS. This knowledge of pathophysiological features of the symptoms allows the underlying anesthesiological approach for individualized perioperative concepts for patients suffering from LQTS to be derived.

Pharmacokinetic evaluation of hydrocodone/acetaminophen for pain management.

PubMed

Singla, Aarti; Sloan, Paul

2013-01-01

Hydrocodone/acetaminophen is not only the most commonly prescribed opioid in the United States but also the most common prescription medication written in America. Although original and early trials confirmed its ability to manage acute pain from surgery and musculoskeletal injury, it is perhaps more widely used today in the management of chronic pain. However, the opioid product was introduced for the management of moderate to moderately severe pain. Because it has been greatly abused as a prescription opioid medication, physicians need to be aware of the current knowledge regarding this analgesic drug. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and metabolism of hydrocodone. Recent information regarding the possibility of hydrocodone as a prodrug for hydromorphone is discussed. The available clinical trials for the use of hydrocodone in the management of acute, chronic, and cancer pain are presented.

Ebola: A holistic approach is required to achieve effective management and control

PubMed Central

Roca, Anna; Afolabi, Muhammed O.; Saidu, Yauba; Kampmann, Beate

2015-01-01

The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has already caused substantial mortality and dire human and economic consequences. It continues to represent an alarming public health threat in the region and beyond and jeopardizes the provision of health care and other services in the affected countries. The scale of the epidemic has accelerated research efforts for diagnostics, treatment, and prevention galvanized through increased availability of funding. Our knowledge relating to the virus, disease pathogenesis, risk factors, dynamics of transmission, and epidemic control is increasing, and sociocultural factors have emerged as critical determinants for the success and failure of control efforts. However, there is a long way to go. In this review we summarize the current knowledge, examine the sociocultural context in West Africa, and outline priority areas for future research. PMID:25843598

Joining forces: the interface of gravitropism and plastid protein import.

PubMed

Stanga, John; Baldwin, Katherine; Masson, Patrick H

2009-10-01

In flowering plants, gravity perception appears to involve the sedimentation of starch-filled plastids, called amyloplasts, within specialized cells (the statocytes) of shoots (endodermal cells) and roots (columella cells). Unfortunately, how the physical information derived from amyloplast sedimentation is converted into a biochemical signal that promotes organ gravitropic curvature remains largely unknown. Recent results suggest an involvement of the Translocon of the Outer Envelope of (Chloro)plastids (TOC) in early phases of gravity signal transduction within the statocytes. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that govern gravity signal transduction in flowering plants and summarizes models that attempt to explain the contribution of TOC proteins in this important behavioral plant growth response to its mechanical environment.

Promoting appropriate management of diarrhea: a systematic review of literature for advocacy and action: UNICEF-PHFI series on newborn and child health, India.

PubMed

Shah, Dheeraj; Choudhury, Panna; Gupta, Piyush; Mathew, Joseph L; Gera, Tarun; Gogia, Siddhartha; Mohan, Pavitra; Panda, Rajmohan; Menon, Subhadra

2012-08-01

Scaling up of evidence-based management and prevention of childhood diarrhea is a public health priority in India, and necessitates robust literature review, for advocacy and action. To identify, synthesize and summarize current evidence to guide scaling up of management of diarrhea among under-five children in India, and identify existing knowledge gaps. A set of questions pertaining to the management (prevention, treatment, and control) of childhood diarrhea was identified through a consultative process. A modified systematic review process developed a priori was used to identify, synthesize and summarize, research evidence and operational information, pertaining to the problem in India. Areas with limited or no evidence were identified as knowledge gaps. Childhood diarrhea is a significant public health problem in India; the point (two weeks) prevalence is 9 to 20%. Diarrhea accounts for 14% of the total deaths in under-five children in India. Infants aged 6 to 24 months are at the highest risk of diarrhea. There is a lack of robust nation-wide data on etiology; rotavirus and diarrheogenic E.coli are the most common organisms identified. The current National Guidelines are sufficient for case-management of childhood diarrhea. Exclusive breastfeeding, handwashing and point of use water treatment are effective strategies for prevention of all-cause diarrhea; rotavirus vaccines are efficacious to prevent rotavirus specific diarrhea. ORS and zinc are the mainstay of management during an episode of childhood diarrhea but have low coverage in India due to policy and programmatic barriers, whereas indiscriminate use of antibiotics and other drugs is common. Zinc therapy given during diarrhea can be upscaled through existing infrastructure is introducing the training component and information, education and communication activities. This systematic review summarizes current evidence on childhood diarrhea and provides evidence to inform child health programs in India.

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy in pancreatic cancer: from research to practice.

PubMed

Jindal, Vishal; Arora, Ena; Masab, Muhammad; Gupta, Sorab

2018-05-04

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy is genetically engineered tumor antigen-specific anticancer immunotherapy, which after showing great success in hematological malignancies is currently being tried in advanced solid tumors like pancreatic cancer. Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and dense fibrous stroma are some of the limitation in the success of this novel therapy. However, genetic modifications and combination therapy is the topic of the research to improve its efficacy. In this article, we summarize the current state of knowledge, limitations, and future prospects for CAR T cell therapy in pancreatic cancer.

Discussions and decisions of the 2012–2014 International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Filoviridae Study Group, January 2012–June 2013

PubMed Central

Bukreyev, Alexander A.; Chandran, Kartik; Dolnik, Olga; Dye, John M.; Ebihara, Hideki; Leroy, Eric M.; Mühlberger, Elke; Netesov, Sergey V.; Patterson, Jean L.; Paweska, Janusz T.; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Smither, Sophie J.; Takada, Ayato; Towner, Jonathan S.; Volchkov, Viktor E.; Warren, Travis K.; Kuhn, Jens H.

2013-01-01

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Filoviridae Study Group prepares proposals on the classification and nomenclature of filoviruses to reflect current knowledge or to correct disagreements with the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature (ICVCN). In recent years, filovirus taxonomy has been corrected and updated, but parts of it remain controversial, and several topics remain to be debated. This article summarizes the decisions and discussion of the currently acting ICTV Filoviridae Study Group since its inauguration in January 2012. PMID:24122154

Drugs and Targets in Fibrosis

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoyi; Zhu, Lixin; Wang, Beibei; Yuan, Meifei; Zhu, Ruixin

2017-01-01

Fibrosis contributes to the development of many diseases and many target molecules are involved in fibrosis. Currently, the majority of fibrosis treatment strategies are limited to specific diseases or organs. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates great similarities among fibroproliferative diseases, and more and more drugs are proved to be effective anti-fibrotic therapies across different diseases and organs. Here we comprehensively review the current knowledge on the pathological mechanisms of fibrosis, and divide factors mediating fibrosis progression into extracellular and intracellular groups. Furthermore, we systematically summarize both single and multiple component drugs that target fibrosis. Future directions of fibrosis drug discovery are also proposed. PMID:29218009

Introducing the Big Knowledge to Use (BK2U) challenge.

PubMed

Perl, Yehoshua; Geller, James; Halper, Michael; Ochs, Christopher; Zheng, Ling; Kapusnik-Uner, Joan

2017-01-01

The purpose of the Big Data to Knowledge initiative is to develop methods for discovering new knowledge from large amounts of data. However, if the resulting knowledge is so large that it resists comprehension, referred to here as Big Knowledge (BK), how can it be used properly and creatively? We call this secondary challenge, Big Knowledge to Use. Without a high-level mental representation of the kinds of knowledge in a BK knowledgebase, effective or innovative use of the knowledge may be limited. We describe summarization and visualization techniques that capture the big picture of a BK knowledgebase, possibly created from Big Data. In this research, we distinguish between assertion BK and rule-based BK (rule BK) and demonstrate the usefulness of summarization and visualization techniques of assertion BK for clinical phenotyping. As an example, we illustrate how a summary of many intracranial bleeding concepts can improve phenotyping, compared to the traditional approach. We also demonstrate the usefulness of summarization and visualization techniques of rule BK for drug-drug interaction discovery. © 2016 New York Academy of Sciences.

Introducing the Big Knowledge to Use (BK2U) challenge

PubMed Central

Perl, Yehoshua; Geller, James; Halper, Michael; Ochs, Christopher; Zheng, Ling; Kapusnik-Uner, Joan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) initiative is to develop methods for discovering new knowledge from large amounts of data. However, if the resulting knowledge is so large that it resists comprehension, referred to here as Big Knowledge (BK), how can it be used properly and creatively? We call this secondary challenge, Big Knowledge to Use (BK2U). Without a high-level mental representation of the kinds of knowledge in a BK knowledgebase, effective or innovative use of the knowledge may be limited. We describe summarization and visualization techniques that capture the big picture of a BK knowledgebase, possibly created from Big Data. In this research, we distinguish between assertion BK and rule-based BK and demonstrate the usefulness of summarization and visualization techniques of assertion BK for clinical phenotyping. As an example, we illustrate how a summary of many intracranial bleeding concepts can improve phenotyping, compared to the traditional approach. We also demonstrate the usefulness of summarization and visualization techniques of rule-based BK for drug–drug interaction discovery. PMID:27750400

[Lactose malabsorption and -intolerance - who will benefit from a lactose-reduced diet?

PubMed

Malham, Mikkel; Olin, Anne Bille; Pærregaard, Anders

2017-02-06

During the last decade, lactose-free diets have become increasingly popular in the general population, either isolated or as a part of a cow's milk-free diet. However, health-related benefits from a lactose-free diet are only documented for individuals with clinical lactose intolerance due to decreased intestinal lactase activity and subsequent lactose malabsorption. In this paper we summarize the current knowledge of lactose intolerance regarding diagnostic procedures and treatment.

Wiring for aerospace applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christian, J. L., Jr.; Dickman, J. E.; Bercaw, R. W.; Myers, I. T.; Hammoud, A. N.; Stavnes, M.; Evans, J.

1992-07-01

In this paper, the authors summarize the current state of knowledge of arc propagation in aerospace power wiring and efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) towards the understanding of the arc tracking phenomena in space environments. Recommendations will be made for additional testing. A database of the performance of commonly used insulating materials will be developed to support the design of advanced high power missions, such as Space Station Freedom and Lunar/Mars Exploration.

Applying the Universal Design for Learning Framework for Individuals With Intellectual Disability: The Future Must Be Now.

PubMed

Smith, Sean J; Lowrey, K Alisa

2017-02-01

The current research in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for students with intellectual disability (ID) is briefly summarized and considered in light of the national goals presented by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) in this article. Additionally, an action plan is provided for researchers and practitioners to extend knowledge on the implementation of the UDL framework inclusive of individuals with ID.

Neutron irradiation effects on plasma facing materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barabash, V.; Federici, G.; Rödig, M.; Snead, L. L.; Wu, C. H.

2000-12-01

This paper reviews the effects of neutron irradiation on thermal and mechanical properties and bulk tritium retention of armour materials (beryllium, tungsten and carbon). For each material, the main properties affected by neutron irradiation are described and the specific tests of neutron irradiated armour materials under thermal shock and disruption conditions are summarized. Based on current knowledge, the expected thermal and structural performance of neutron irradiated armour materials in the ITER plasma facing components are analysed.

Degradation of connexins and gap junctions

PubMed Central

Falk, Matthias M.; Kells, Rachael M.; Berthoud, Viviana M.

2014-01-01

Connexin proteins are short-lived within the cell, whether present in the secretory pathway or in gap junction plaques. Their levels can be modulated by their rate of degradation. Connexins, at different stages of assembly, are degraded through the proteasomal, endo-/lysosomal, and phago-/lysosomal pathways. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about connexin and gap junction degradation including the signals and protein-protein interactions that participate in their targeting for degradation. PMID:24486527

Wiring for aerospace applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christian, J. L., Jr.; Dickman, J. E.; Bercaw, R. W.; Myers, I. T.; Hammoud, A. N.; Stavnes, M.; Evans, J.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the authors summarize the current state of knowledge of arc propagation in aerospace power wiring and efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) towards the understanding of the arc tracking phenomena in space environments. Recommendations will be made for additional testing. A database of the performance of commonly used insulating materials will be developed to support the design of advanced high power missions, such as Space Station Freedom and Lunar/Mars Exploration.

Polysaccharides in Lentinus edodes: isolation, structure, immunomodulating activity and future prospective.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaofei; Yan, Huidan; Tang, Jian; Chen, Jian; Zhang, Xuewu

2014-01-01

Lentinus edodes has been valued as edible and medical resources. Polysaccharides have been known to be the most potent antitumor and immunomodulating substance in Lentinus edodes. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the polysaccharides isolated from Lentinus edodes, including extraction and purification methods, chemical structure and chain conformation, the effects on innate and adaptive immunity and their mechanism, relationship between structure and function, and the future prospects.

Knowledge translation and interprofessional collaboration: Where the rubber of evidence-based care hits the road of teamwork.

PubMed

Zwarenstein, Merrick; Reeves, Scott

2006-01-01

Knowledge-translation interventions and interprofessional education and collaboration interventions all aim at improving health care processes and outcomes. Knowledge-translation interventions attempt to increase evidence-based practice by a single professional group and thus may fail to take into account barriers from difficulties in interprofessional relations. Interprofessional education and collaboration interventions aim to improve interprofessional relations, which may in turn facilitate the work of knowledge translation and thus evidence-based practice. We summarize systematic review work on the effects of interventions for interprofessional education and collaboration. The current evidence base contains mainly descriptive studies of these interventions. Knowledge is limited regarding the impact on care and outcomes and the extent to which the interventions increase the practice of evidence-based care. Rigorous multimethod research studies are needed to develop and strengthen the current evidence base in this field. We describe a Health Canada-funded randomized trial in which quantitative and qualitative data will be gathered in 20 general internal medicine units located at 5 Toronto, Ontario, teaching hospitals. The project examines the impact of interprofessional education and collaboration interventions on interprofessional relationships, health care processes (including evidence-based practice), and patient outcomes. Routes are suggested by which interprofessional education and collaboration interventions might affect knowledge translation and evidence-based practice.

Toxicology and the biological role of methanol and ethanol: Current view.

PubMed

Pohanka, Miroslav

2016-03-01

Alcohol variants such as ethanol and methanol are simple organic compounds widely used in foods, pharmaceuticals, chemical synthesis, etc. Both are becoming an emerging health problem; abuse of ethanol containing beverages can lead to disparate health problems and methanol is highly toxic and unfit for consumption. This review summarizes the basic knowledge about ethanol and methanol toxicity, the effect mechanism on the body, the current care of poisoned individuals and the implication of alcohols in the development of diseases. Alcohol related dementia, stroke, metabolic syndrome and hepatitis are discussed as well. Besides ethanol, methanol toxicity and its biodegradation pathways are addressed. The impact of ethanol and methanol on the body is shown as case reports, along with a discussion on the possible implication of alcohol in Alzheimer's disease and antidotal therapy for methanol poisoning. The role of ethanol in cancer and degenerative disorders seems to be underestimated given the current knowledge. Treatment in case of poisoning is another issue that remains unresolved even though effective protocols and drugs exist.

Comparison of clinical knowledge bases for summarization of electronic health records.

PubMed

McCoy, Allison B; Sittig, Dean F; Wright, Adam

2013-01-01

Automated summarization tools that create condition-specific displays may improve clinician efficiency. These tools require new kinds of knowledge that is difficult to obtain. We compared five problem-medication pair knowledge bases generated using four previously described knowledge base development approaches. The number of pairs in the resulting mapped knowledge bases varied widely due to differing mapping techniques from the source terminologies, ranging from 2,873 to 63,977,738 pairs. The number of overlapping pairs across knowledge bases was low, with one knowledge base having half of the pairs overlapping with another knowledge base, and most having less than a third overlapping. Further research is necessary to better evaluate the knowledge bases independently in additional settings, and to identify methods to integrate the knowledge bases.

Peer-led nutrition education programs for school-aged youth: a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Yip, Calvin; Gates, Michelle; Gates, Allison; Hanning, Rhona M

2016-02-01

To date, the impacts of school-based, peer-led nutrition education initiatives have not been summarized or assessed collectively. This review presents the current evidence, identifies knowledge gaps, and provides recommendations for future research. PubMed, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar were searched for refereed Canadian and American primary studies published between January 2000 and November 2013, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Seventeen articles (11 programs) from Canada (24%) and the United States (76%) were identified. The results were summarized in terms of the study population, program design and main outcomes. Common outcome measures included healthy eating knowledge (n = 5), self-efficacy or attitudes towards healthy eating (n = 13), dietary measures (n = 9) and body mass index (n = 4), all of which tended to improve as a result of the programs. More research is needed to ascertain the effect of improvements in knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes towards healthy eating on food behaviors. When evaluated, programs were generally well received, while the long-term maintenance of positive impacts was a challenge. Studies of sustainability and feasibility to promote long-term impact are a logical next step. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The anatomy and physiology of the ocular motor system.

PubMed

Horn, Anja K E; Leigh, R John

2011-01-01

Accurate diagnosis of abnormal eye movements depends upon knowledge of the purpose, properties, and neural substrate of distinct functional classes of eye movement. Here, we summarize current concepts of the anatomy of eye movement control. Our approach is bottom-up, starting with the extraocular muscles and their innervation by the cranial nerves. Second, we summarize the neural circuits in the pons underlying horizontal gaze control, and the midbrain connections that coordinate vertical and torsional movements. Third, the role of the cerebellum in governing and optimizing eye movements is presented. Fourth, each area of cerebral cortex contributing to eye movements is discussed. Last, descending projections from cerebral cortex, including basal ganglionic circuits that govern different components of gaze, and the superior colliculus, are summarized. At each stage of this review, the anatomical scheme is used to predict the effects of lesions on the control of eye movements, providing clinical-anatomical correlation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Emerging evidence for CHFR as a cancer biomarker: from tumor biology to precision medicine.

PubMed

Derks, Sarah; Cleven, Arjen H G; Melotte, Veerle; Smits, Kim M; Brandes, Johann C; Azad, Nilofer; van Criekinge, Wim; de Bruïne, Adriaan P; Herman, James G; van Engeland, Manon

2014-03-01

Novel insights in the biology of cancer have switched the paradigm of a "one-size-fits-all" cancer treatment to an individualized biology-driven treatment approach. In recent years, a diversity of biomarkers and targeted therapies has been discovered. Although these examples accentuate the promise of personalized cancer treatment, for most cancers and cancer subgroups no biomarkers and effective targeted therapy are available. The great majority of patients still receive unselected standard therapies with no use of their individual molecular characteristics. Better knowledge about the underlying tumor biology will lead the way toward personalized cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the evidence for a promising cancer biomarker: checkpoint with forkhead and ring finger domains (CHFR). CHFR is a mitotic checkpoint and tumor suppressor gene, which is inactivated in a diverse group of solid malignancies, mostly by promoter CpG island methylation. CHFR inactivation has shown to be an indicator of poor prognosis and sensitivity to taxane-based chemotherapy. Here we summarize the current knowledge of altered CHFR expression in cancer, the impact on tumor biology and implications for personalized cancer treatment.

Relatedness-based Multi-Entity Summarization

PubMed Central

Gunaratna, Kalpa; Yazdavar, Amir Hossein; Thirunarayan, Krishnaprasad; Sheth, Amit; Cheng, Gong

2017-01-01

Representing world knowledge in a machine processable format is important as entities and their descriptions have fueled tremendous growth in knowledge-rich information processing platforms, services, and systems. Prominent applications of knowledge graphs include search engines (e.g., Google Search and Microsoft Bing), email clients (e.g., Gmail), and intelligent personal assistants (e.g., Google Now, Amazon Echo, and Apple’s Siri). In this paper, we present an approach that can summarize facts about a collection of entities by analyzing their relatedness in preference to summarizing each entity in isolation. Specifically, we generate informative entity summaries by selecting: (i) inter-entity facts that are similar and (ii) intra-entity facts that are important and diverse. We employ a constrained knapsack problem solving approach to efficiently compute entity summaries. We perform both qualitative and quantitative experiments and demonstrate that our approach yields promising results compared to two other stand-alone state-of-the-art entity summarization approaches. PMID:29051696

The Multispectral Imaging Science Working Group. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, S. C. (Editor)

1982-01-01

Results of the deliberations of the six multispectral imaging science working groups (Botany, Geography, Geology, Hydrology, Imaging Science and Information Science) are summarized. Consideration was given to documenting the current state of knowledge in terrestrial remote sensing without the constraints of preconceived concepts such as possible band widths, number of bands, and radiometric or spatial resolutions of present or future systems. The findings of each working group included a discussion of desired capabilities and critical developmental issues.

Analytical chemistry in the Aegean Sea region: current status.

PubMed

Samanidou, Victoria F

2012-12-01

The Eighth Aegean Analytical Chemistry Days Conference took place in Urla, İzmir, Turkey, from 16-20 September 2012. This conference is held every 2 years, organized alternately by analytical chemistry departments of Turkish and Greek universities, so that analytical chemists from the region around the Aegean Sea can exchange experience and knowledge based on their research in a large number of fields. This report summarizes the most interesting presentations and posters pertaining to bioanalytical work.

Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells in Bacterial Infections

PubMed Central

Ost, Michael; Singh, Anurag; Peschel, Andreas; Mehling, Roman; Rieber, Nikolaus; Hartl, Dominik

2016-01-01

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) comprise monocytic and granulocytic innate immune cells with the capability of suppressing T- and NK-cell responses. While the role of MDSCs has been studied in depth in malignant diseases, the understanding of their regulation and function in infectious disease conditions has just begun to evolve. Here we summarize and discuss the current view how MDSCs participate in bacterial infections and how this knowledge could be exploited for potential future therapeutics. PMID:27066459

Effects of Aging in Dry Eye

PubMed Central

de Paiva, Cintia S.

2017-01-01

Dry eye affects millions of people worldwide and causes eye well recognized risk factors for dry eye. Anatomical and inflammation-induced age-related changes affect all components of the lacrimal gland functional unit, inclusive of lacrimal gland, conjunctiva, meibomian gland and compromise ocular surface health. There is increased evidence that inflammation plays a role in dry eye. This review will summarize the current knowledge about aging and dry eye, inclusive of lessons learned from animal models and promising therapies. PMID:28282314

Small non-coding RNAs in streptomycetes.

PubMed

Heueis, Nona; Vockenhuber, Michael-Paul; Suess, Beatrix

2014-01-01

Streptomycetes are Gram-positive, GC-rich, soil dwelling bacteria, occurring ubiquitary throughout nature. They undergo extensive morphological changes from spores to filamentous mycelia and produce a plethora of secondary metabolites. Owing to their complex life cycle, streptomycetes require efficient regulatory machinery for the control of gene expression. Therefore, they possess a large diversity of regulators. Within this review we summarize the current knowledge about the importance of small non-coding RNA for the control of gene expression in these organisms.

Bacteria in atmospheric waters: Detection, characteristics and implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Wei; Niu, Hongya; Murata, Kotaro; Wu, Zhijun; Hu, Min; Kojima, Tomoko; Zhang, Daizhou

2018-04-01

In this review paper, we synthesize the current knowledges about bacteria in atmospheric waters, e.g., cloud, fog, rain, and snow, most of which were obtained very recently. First, we briefly describe the importance of bacteria in atmospheric waters, i.e., the essentiality of studying bacteria in atmospheric waters in understanding aerosol-cloud-precipitation-climate interactions in the Earth system. Next, approaches to collect atmospheric water samples for the detection of bacteria and methods to identify the bacteria are summarized and compared. Then the available data on the abundance, viability and community composition of bacteria in atmospheric waters are summarized. The average bacterial concentration in cloud water was usually on the order 104-105 cells mL-1, while that in precipitation on the order 103-104 cells mL-1. Most of the bacteria were viable or metabolically active. Their community composition was highly diverse and differed at various sites. Factors potentially influencing the bacteria, e.g., air pollution levels and sources, meteorological conditions, seasonal effect, and physicochemical properties of atmospheric waters, are described. After that, the implications of bacteria present in atmospheric waters, including their effect on nucleation in clouds, atmospheric chemistry, ecosystems and public health, are briefly discussed. Finally, based on the current knowledges on bacteria in atmospheric waters, which in fact remains largely unknown, we give perspectives that should be paid attention to in future studies.

Methicillin-resistant food-related Staphylococcus aureus: a review of current knowledge and biofilm formation for future studies and applications.

PubMed

Doulgeraki, Agapi I; Di Ciccio, Pierluigi; Ianieri, Adriana; Nychas, George-John E

2017-01-01

There is increasing concern about the public health impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Food and animal are vectors of transmission, but the contribution of a contaminated environment is not well characterized. With regard to this, staphylococcal biofilms serve as a virulence factor, allowing MRSA strains to adhere to surfaces and other materials used in the food industry. Methicillin resistance and biofilm-forming capacity may contribute to the success of S. aureus as a human pathogen in both health care and community settings and the food production chain. This review summarizes current knowledge about the significance of food- and animal-derived MRSA strains and provides data on attachment and biofilm formation of MRSA. In addition, the impact of quorum sensing on MRSA gene expression and biofilm formation is examined. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Autophagy in Drosophila: From Historical Studies to Current Knowledge

PubMed Central

Mulakkal, Nitha C.; Nagy, Peter; Takats, Szabolcs; Tusco, Radu; Juhász, Gábor; Nezis, Ioannis P.

2014-01-01

The discovery of evolutionarily conserved Atg genes required for autophagy in yeast truly revolutionized this research field and made it possible to carry out functional studies on model organisms. Insects including Drosophila are classical and still popular models to study autophagy, starting from the 1960s. This review aims to summarize past achievements and our current knowledge about the role and regulation of autophagy in Drosophila, with an outlook to yeast and mammals. The basic mechanisms of autophagy in fruit fly cells appear to be quite similar to other eukaryotes, and the role that this lysosomal self-degradation process plays in Drosophila models of various diseases already made it possible to recognize certain aspects of human pathologies. Future studies in this complete animal hold great promise for the better understanding of such processes and may also help finding new research avenues for the treatment of disorders with misregulated autophagy. PMID:24949430

Lipid Metabolism and Lipid Droplets in Pancreatic Cancer and Stellate Cells

PubMed Central

Sunami, Yoshiaki; Rebelo, Artur; Kleeff, Jörg

2017-01-01

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is projected to become the second deadliest cancer by 2030, and the overall 5-year survival rate is currently less than 7%. Cancer cells frequently exhibit reprogramming of their metabolic activity. It is increasingly recognized that aberrant de novo lipid synthesis and reprogrammed lipid metabolism are both associated with the development and progression of various cancers, including pancreatic cancer. In this review, the current knowledge about lipid metabolism and lipid droplets in pancreatic cancer is discussed. In the first part, molecular mechanisms of lipid metabolism and roles of enzymes involved in lipid metabolism which are relevant for pancreatic cancer research are presented. Further, preclinical studies and clinical trials with drugs/inhibitors targeting cancer metabolic systems in cancer are summarized. An increase of our knowledge in lipid metabolism in pancreatic cancer cells and in tumor stroma is important for developing novel strategies of future individualized therapies of pancreatic cancer. PMID:29295482

Ebola: a holistic approach is required to achieve effective management and control.

PubMed

Roca, Anna; Afolabi, Muhammed O; Saidu, Yauba; Kampmann, Beate

2015-04-01

The current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has already caused substantial mortality and dire human and economic consequences. It continues to represent an alarming public health threat in the region and beyond and jeopardizes the provision of health care and other services in the affected countries. The scale of the epidemic has accelerated research efforts for diagnostics, treatment, and prevention galvanized through increased availability of funding. Our knowledge relating to the virus, disease pathogenesis, risk factors, dynamics of transmission, and epidemic control is increasing, and sociocultural factors have emerged as critical determinants for the success and failure of control efforts. However, there is a long way to go. In this review we summarize the current knowledge, examine the sociocultural context in West Africa, and outline priority areas for future research. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Antibiotic prophylaxis in open inguinal hernia repair: a literature review and summary of current knowledge

PubMed Central

Makarewicz, Wojciech; Ropel, Jerzy; Bobowicz, Maciej; Kąkol, Michał; Śmietański, Maciej

2016-01-01

More than 1 million inguinal hernia repairs are performed in Europe and the US annually. Although antibiotic prophylaxis is not required in clean, elective procedures, the routine use of implants (90% of inguinal hernia repairs are performed with mesh) makes the topic controversial. The European Hernia Society does not recommend routine antibiotic prophylaxis for elective inguinal hernia repairs. However, the latest randomized controlled trial, published by Mazaki et al., indicates that the use of prophylaxis is effective for the prevention of surgical site infection. Unnecessary prophylaxis contributes to the development of bacterial resistance and significantly increases healthcare costs. This review documents clinical trials on inguinal hernia repairs with mesh and summarizes the current knowledge. It also tries to solve certain problems, namely: what constitutes a real risk factor, late-onset infection, and how the “surgical environment” impacts on the need to use antibiotic prophylaxis. PMID:27829934

Inflammation--a lifelong companion. Attempt at a non-analytical holistic view.

PubMed

Ferencík, M; Stvrtinová, V; Hulín, I; Novák, M

2007-01-01

Inflammation is a key component of the immune system. It has important functions in both defense and pathophysiological events maintaining the dynamic homeostasis of a host organism including its tissues, organs and individual cells. On the cellular level it is controlled by more than 400 currently known genes. Their polymorphisms and environmental conditions give rise to different genotypes in human population. Pro-inflammatory genotype, which dominates in the present population, may be advantageous in childhood but not in elderly people because it is characterized by an increased vulnerability to, and intensity of, inflammatory reactions. These reactions may be the possible reasons of chronic inflammatory diseases, especially in old age. Better understanding of complex molecular and cellular inflammatory mechanisms is indispensable for detailed knowledge of pathogenesis of many diseases, their prevention and directed drug therapy. Here we summarize the basic current knowledge on these mechanisms.

[Specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2): current knowledge and perspectives].

PubMed

Rioda, W T; Nervetti, A

2001-01-01

The Authors summarize the current knowledge on a new class of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the coxib (celecoxib and rofecoxib), in the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Celecoxib and rofecoxib are selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors which possess the same anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities, but a better gastric tolerability compared to the non-selective COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors. The Authors also report other possible therapeutic effects of these NSADIs as evidenced by the more recent data of the literature. Celecoxib seems to reduce the incidence of new polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. It has been suggested the use of celecoxib as a protective drug against the development of colorectal cancer. Other (neoplastic) or pre-neoplastic conditions, such as bladder dysplasia, Barret esophagus, attinic keratosis and Alzheimer's disease seem to have benefit from this class of drugs.

Critical review on the mechanisms of maturation stress generation in trees

PubMed Central

Clair, Bruno

2016-01-01

Trees control their posture by generating asymmetric mechanical stress around the periphery of the trunk or branches. This stress is produced in wood during the maturation of the cell wall. When the need for reaction is high, it is accompanied by strong changes in cell organization and composition called reaction wood, namely compression wood in gymnosperms and tension wood in angiosperms. The process by which stress is generated in the cell wall during its formation is not yet known, and various hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed in the literature. Here we aim at discriminating between these models. First, we summarize current knowledge about reaction wood structure, state and behaviour relevant to the understanding of maturation stress generation. Then, the mechanisms proposed in the literature are listed and discussed in order to identify which can be rejected based on their inconsistency with current knowledge at the frontier between plant science and mechanical engineering. PMID:27605169

Effect of Prenatal Exposure to Pesticides on Children's Health.

PubMed

Matysiak, Magdalena; Kruszewski, Marcin; Jodlowska-Jedrych, Barbara; Kapka-Skrzypczak, Lucyna

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to summarize the current state of knowledge on pesticide-related fertility problems and disadventeges of childrens due to prenatal pesticides exposure. Available literature was analyzed. Due to the extent of the issue, the study focuses on epidemiological studies conducted in humans, despite evidence from in vitro and animal studies. It seems certain that exposure to harmful chemicals is one of the factors that may cause a decline in fertility and problems with conceiving, whereas exposure during pregnancy can impair foetal development. Prenatal exposure may also result in the occurrence of childhood cancer and neurobehavioral disorders. The meaning of the project is to summarize the role of pesticides in the process of reproduction. This applies especially to people working in agriculture, since they might be occupationally exposed to pesticides.

Evolutionary genomics and population structure of Entamoeba histolytica

PubMed Central

Das, Koushik; Ganguly, Sandipan

2014-01-01

Amoebiasis caused by the gastrointestinal parasite Entamoeba histolytica has diverse disease outcomes. Study of genome and evolution of this fascinating parasite will help us to understand the basis of its virulence and explain why, when and how it causes diseases. In this review, we have summarized current knowledge regarding evolutionary genomics of E. histolytica and discussed their association with parasite phenotypes and its differential pathogenic behavior. How genetic diversity reveals parasite population structure has also been discussed. Queries concerning their evolution and population structure which were required to be addressed have also been highlighted. This significantly large amount of genomic data will improve our knowledge about this pathogenic species of Entamoeba. PMID:25505504

Present state of knowledge of the upper atmosphere: An assessment report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

A program of research, technology, and monitoring of the phenomena of the upper atmosphere, to provide for an understanding of and to maintain the chemical and physical integrity of the Earth's upper atmosphere was developed. NASA implemented a long-range upper atmospheric science program aimed at developing an organized, solid body of knowledge of upper atmospheric processes while providing, in the near term, assessments of potential effects of human activities on the atmosphere. The effects of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) releases on stratospheric ozone were reported. Issues relating the current understanding of ozone predictions and trends and highlights recent and future anticipated developments that will improve our understanding of the system are summarized.

Seismically generated tsunamis.

PubMed

Arcas, Diego; Segur, Harvey

2012-04-13

People around the world know more about tsunamis than they did 10 years ago, primarily because of two events: a tsunami on 26 December 2004 that killed more than 200,000 people around the shores of the Indian Ocean; and an earthquake and tsunami off the coast of Japan on 11 March 2011 that killed nearly 15,000 more and triggered a nuclear accident, with consequences that are still unfolding. This paper has three objectives: (i) to summarize our current knowledge of the dynamics of tsunamis; (ii) to describe how that knowledge is now being used to forecast tsunamis; and (iii) to suggest some policy changes that might protect people better from the dangers of future tsunamis.

Biological basis for space-variant sensor design I: parameters of monkey and human spatial vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojer, Alan S.; Schwartz, Eric L.

1991-02-01

Biological sensor design has long provided inspiration for sensor design in machine vision. However relatively little attention has been paid to the actual design parameters provided by biological systems as opposed to the general nature of biological vision architectures. In the present paper we will provide a review of current knowledge of primate spatial vision design parameters and will present recent experimental and modeling work from our lab which demonstrates that a numerical conformal mapping which is a refinement of our previous complex logarithmic model provides the best current summary of this feature of the primate visual system. In this paper we will review recent work from our laboratory which has characterized some of the spatial architectures of the primate visual system. In particular we will review experimental and modeling studies which indicate that: . The global spatial architecture of primate visual cortex is well summarized by a numerical conformal mapping whose simplest analytic approximation is the complex logarithm function . The columnar sub-structure of primate visual cortex can be well summarized by a model based on a band-pass filtered white noise. We will also refer to ongoing work in our lab which demonstrates that: . The joint columnar/map structure of primate visual cortex can be modeled and summarized in terms of a new algorithm the ''''proto-column'''' algorithm. This work provides a reference-point for current engineering approaches to novel architectures for

The Role of Soil Microorganisms in Plant Mineral Nutrition—Current Knowledge and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Jacoby, Richard; Peukert, Manuela; Succurro, Antonella; Koprivova, Anna; Kopriva, Stanislav

2017-01-01

In their natural environment, plants are part of a rich ecosystem including numerous and diverse microorganisms in the soil. It has been long recognized that some of these microbes, such as mycorrhizal fungi or nitrogen fixing symbiotic bacteria, play important roles in plant performance by improving mineral nutrition. However, the full range of microbes associated with plants and their potential to replace synthetic agricultural inputs has only recently started to be uncovered. In the last few years, a great progress has been made in the knowledge on composition of rhizospheric microbiomes and their dynamics. There is clear evidence that plants shape microbiome structures, most probably by root exudates, and also that bacteria have developed various adaptations to thrive in the rhizospheric niche. The mechanisms of these interactions and the processes driving the alterations in microbiomes are, however, largely unknown. In this review, we focus on the interaction of plants and root associated bacteria enhancing plant mineral nutrition, summarizing the current knowledge in several research fields that can converge to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon. PMID:28974956

Insulin Infusion Set: The Achilles Heel of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion

PubMed Central

Heinemann, Lutz; Krinelke, Lars

2012-01-01

Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion from an insulin pump depends on reliable transfer of the pumped insulin to the subcutaneous insulin depot by means of an insulin infusion set (IIS). Despite their widespread use, the published knowledge about IISs and related issues regarding the impact of placement and wear time on insulin absorption/insulin action is relatively small. We also have to acknowledge that our knowledge is limited with regard to how often patients encounter issues with IISs. Reading pump wearer blogs, for instance, suggests that these are a frequent source of trouble. There are no prospective clinical studies available on current IIS and insulin formulations that provide representative data on the type and frequency of issues with infusion sets. The introduction of new IISs and patch pumps may foster a reassessment of available products and of patient problems related to their use. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge and recommendations about IISs and to highlight potential directions of IIS development in order to make insulin absorption safer and more efficient. PMID:22920824

Understanding pressurized metered dose inhaler performance.

PubMed

Ivey, James W; Vehring, Reinhard; Finlay, Warren H

2015-06-01

Deepening the current understanding of the factors governing the performance of the pressurized metered dose inhaler (pMDI) has the potential to benefit patients by providing improved drugs for current indications as well as by enabling new areas of therapy. Although a great deal of work has been conducted to this end, our knowledge of the physical mechanisms that drive pMDI performance remains incomplete. This review focuses on research into the influence of device and formulation variables on pMDI performance metrics. Literature in the areas of dose metering, atomization and aerosol evolution and deposition is covered, with an emphasis on studies of a more fundamental nature. Simple models which may be of use to those developing pMDI products are summarized. Although researchers have had good success utilizing an empirically developed knowledge base to predict pMDI performance, such knowledge may not be applicable when pursuing innovations in device or formulation technology. Developing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is a worthwhile investment for those working to enable the next generation of pMDI products.

From Data to Knowledge through Concept-oriented Terminologies

PubMed Central

Cimino, James J.

2000-01-01

Knowledge representation involves enumeration of conceptual symbols and arrangement of these symbols into some meaningful structure. Medical knowledge representation has traditionally focused more on the structure than the symbols. Several significant efforts are under way, at local, national, and international levels, to address the representation of the symbols though the creation of high-quality terminologies that are themselves knowledge based. This paper reviews these efforts, including the Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) in use at Columbia University and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. A decade's experience with the MED is summarized to serve as a proof-of-concept that knowledge-based terminologies can support the use of coded patient data for a variety of knowledge-based activities, including the improved understanding of patient data, the access of information sources relevant to specific patient care problems, the application of expert systems directly to the care of patients, and the discovery of new medical knowledge. The terminological knowledge in the MED has also been used successfully to support clinical application development and maintenance, including that of the MED itself. On the basis of this experience, current efforts to create standard knowledge-based terminologies appear to be justified. PMID:10833166

From data to knowledge through concept-oriented terminologies: experience with the Medical Entities Dictionary.

PubMed

Cimino, J J

2000-01-01

Knowledge representation involves enumeration of conceptual symbols and arrangement of these symbols into some meaningful structure. Medical knowledge representation has traditionally focused more on the structure than the symbols. Several significant efforts are under way, at local, national, and international levels, to address the representation of the symbols though the creation of high-quality terminologies that are themselves knowledge based. This paper reviews these efforts, including the Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) in use at Columbia University and the New York Presbyterian Hospital. A decade's experience with the MED is summarized to serve as a proof-of-concept that knowledge-based terminologies can support the use of coded patient data for a variety of knowledge-based activities, including the improved understanding of patient data, the access of information sources relevant to specific patient care problems, the application of expert systems directly to the care of patients, and the discovery of new medical knowledge. The terminological knowledge in the MED has also been used successfully to support clinical application development and maintenance, including that of the MED itself. On the basis of this experience, current efforts to create standard knowledge-based terminologies appear to be justified.

Earth based approaches to enhancing the health and safety of space operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koller, A. M., Jr.

1985-01-01

This paper provides an overview of the current state of our earth based knowledge of space safety hazards; identification of several key areas of concern for space operations; and proposed approaches to providing technology enhancement and information needed to improve the health and safety to those conducting space operations. Included are a review of the identified hazards for space oeprations by hazard classification; a summarization of the information currently available on space experiences and an assessment of potential hazards for long duration spaceflight; a discussion of potential failure modes and their significance for Space Station work: and an assessment of current work which indicates additional research and experimentation which can only be accomplished in actual space missions.

Impact of reconstructive transplantation on the future of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

PubMed

Siemionow, Maria

2012-10-01

This article summarizes the current knowledge on the new developing field of reconstructive transplantation. A brief outline of vascularized composite allografts (VCA) such as human hand, face, larynx, and abdominal wall transplants is provided. The clinical applications and indications for these new reconstructive transplantation procedures are outlined. The advantages, disadvantages, and complications and concerns surrounding clinical VCA are discussed. Finally, the impact of reconstructive transplantation on the future of plastic and reconstructive surgery is presented. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Insights into Brown Adipose Tissue Physiology as Revealed by Imaging Studies

PubMed Central

Izzi-Engbeaya, Chioma; Salem, Victoria; Atkar, Rajveer S; Dhillo, Waljit S

2014-01-01

There has been resurgence in interest in brown adipose tissue (BAT) following radiological and histological identification of metabolically active BAT in adult humans. Imaging enables BAT to be studied non-invasively and therefore imaging studies have contributed a significant amount to what is known about BAT function in humans. In this review the current knowledge (derived from imaging studies) about the prevalence, function, activity and regulation of BAT in humans (as well as relevant rodent studies), will be summarized. PMID:26167397

The habits of roots: what's up down under?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feldman, L. J.

1988-01-01

Defining interactions of roots with the surrounding soil environment has been the focus of many recent investigations. As a result of these efforts, we are gaining an appreciation of the varied and often surprising strategies whereby roots adjust to and condition their soil environment for optimal growth and development. This article summarizes current knowledge of the often complex interactions between roots and biotic and abiotic factors within the soil. These interactions are interpreted in terms of modifications in the development or the physiology of the root.

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: The Whole Truth.

PubMed

Parikh, Ujas; Chhor, Chloe M; Mercado, Cecilia L

2018-02-01

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a noninvasive malignant breast disease traditionally described as a precursor lesion to invasive breast cancer. With screening mammography, DCIS now accounts for approximately 20% of newly diagnosed cancer cases. DCIS is not well understood because of its heterogeneous nature. Studies have aimed to assess prognostic factors to characterize its risk of invasive potential; however, there still remains a lack of uniformity in workup and treatment. We summarize current knowledge of DCIS and the ongoing controversies.

Molecular insights into Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei pathogenesis.

PubMed

Galyov, Edouard E; Brett, Paul J; DeShazer, David

2010-01-01

Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are closely related gram-negative bacteria that can cause serious diseases in humans and animals. This review summarizes the current and rapidly expanding knowledge on the specific virulence factors employed by these pathogens and their roles in the pathogenesis of melioidosis and glanders. In particular, the contributions of recently identified virulence factors are described in the context of the intracellular lifestyle of these pathogens. Throughout this review, unique and shared virulence features of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are discussed.

Difluoromethylornithine in cancer: new advances.

PubMed

Alexiou, George A; Lianos, Georgios D; Ragos, Vassileios; Galani, Vasiliki; Kyritsis, Athanassios P

2017-04-01

Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO; eflornithine) is an irreversible suicide inhibitor of the enzyme ornithine decarboxylase which is involved in polyamine synthesis. Polyamines are important for cell survival, thus DFMO was studied as an anticancer agent and as a chemoprevention agent. DFMO exhibited mainly cytostatic activity and had single agent efficacy as well as activity in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs for some cancers and leukemias. Herewith, we summarize the current knowledge of the anticancer and chemopreventive properties of DFMO and assess the status of clinical trials.

Chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) associated with vertebrates in Mexico.

PubMed

SÁnchez-Montes, Sokani; Colunga-Salas, Pablo; Álvarez-Castillo, LucÍa; GuzmÁn-Cornejo, Carmen; Montiel-Parra, Griselda

2018-01-15

The chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) of Mexico have been little studied and many publications include isolated records. This paper summarizes current knowledge of chewing lice recorded from Mexico resulting from an exhaustive search of the literature published from 1866 to 2017. We found 342 louse species associated with 206 bird and 28 mammal species. As a result, we provide a checklist of the chewing lice recorded from Mexico, including a host-parasite list and their geographical distribution within the country.

Task-based measures of image quality and their relation to radiation dose and patient risk

PubMed Central

Barrett, Harrison H.; Myers, Kyle J.; Hoeschen, Christoph; Kupinski, Matthew A.; Little, Mark P.

2015-01-01

The theory of task-based assessment of image quality is reviewed in the context of imaging with ionizing radiation, and objective figures of merit (FOMs) for image quality are summarized. The variation of the FOMs with the task, the observer and especially with the mean number of photons recorded in the image is discussed. Then various standard methods for specifying radiation dose are reviewed and related to the mean number of photons in the image and hence to image quality. Current knowledge of the relation between local radiation dose and the risk of various adverse effects is summarized, and some graphical depictions of the tradeoffs between image quality and risk are introduced. Then various dose-reduction strategies are discussed in terms of their effect on task-based measures of image quality. PMID:25564960

Neurotrophin Propeptides: Biological Functions and Molecular Mechanisms.

PubMed

Rafieva, Lola M; Gasanov, Eugene V

2016-01-01

Neurotrophins constitute a family of growth factors that play a key role in the regulation of the development and function of the central and peripheral nervous systems. A common feature of all the neurotrophins is their synthesis in cells as long precursors (pre-pro-neurotrophins) that contain an N-terminal signal peptide, a following propeptide and the mature neurotrophin. Although the signal peptide functions have been well studied, the role of neurotrophin propeptides is not so clear. Here, we briefly summarize the biochemistry of neurotrophin propeptides, including their role as folding-assistants for the mature factor and their role in processing and in secretion of neurotrophins. In the main part of the review we summarize our current state of knowledge of the biological activity of neurotrophin propeptides, their possible mechanisms of action, and their potential influence on the activity of the mature neurotrophins.

An Overview of Biomolecular Event Extraction from Scientific Documents

PubMed Central

Vanegas, Jorge A.; Matos, Sérgio; González, Fabio; Oliveira, José L.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a review of state-of-the-art approaches to automatic extraction of biomolecular events from scientific texts. Events involving biomolecules such as genes, transcription factors, or enzymes, for example, have a central role in biological processes and functions and provide valuable information for describing physiological and pathogenesis mechanisms. Event extraction from biomedical literature has a broad range of applications, including support for information retrieval, knowledge summarization, and information extraction and discovery. However, automatic event extraction is a challenging task due to the ambiguity and diversity of natural language and higher-level linguistic phenomena, such as speculations and negations, which occur in biological texts and can lead to misunderstanding or incorrect interpretation. Many strategies have been proposed in the last decade, originating from different research areas such as natural language processing, machine learning, and statistics. This review summarizes the most representative approaches in biomolecular event extraction and presents an analysis of the current state of the art and of commonly used methods, features, and tools. Finally, current research trends and future perspectives are also discussed. PMID:26587051

Weight Loss and Malnutrition in Patients with Parkinson's Disease: Current Knowledge and Future Prospects

PubMed Central

Ma, Kai; Xiong, Nian; Shen, Yan; Han, Chao; Liu, Ling; Zhang, Guoxin; Wang, Luxi; Guo, Shiyi; Guo, Xingfang; Xia, Yun; Wan, Fang; Huang, Jinsha; Lin, Zhicheng; Wang, Tao

2018-01-01

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is currently considered a systemic neurodegenerative disease manifested with not only motor but also non-motor symptoms. In particular, weight loss and malnutrition, a set of frequently neglected non-motor symptoms, are indeed negatively associated with the life quality of PD patients. Moreover, comorbidity of weight loss and malnutrition may impact disease progression, giving rise to dyskinesia, cognitive decline and orthostatic hypotension, and even resulting in disability and mortality. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of weight loss and malnutrition in PD remains obscure and possibly involving multitudinous, exogenous or endogenous, factors. What is more, there still does not exist any weight loss and malnutrition appraision standards and management strategies. Given this, here in this review, we elaborate the weight loss and malnutrition study status in PD and summarize potential determinants and mechanisms as well. In conclusion, we present current knowledge and future prospects of weight loss and malnutrition in the context of PD, aiming to appeal clinicians and researchers to pay a closer attention to this phenomena and enable better management and therapeutic strategies in future clinical practice. PMID:29403371

VASCULAR ACTIONS OF ESTROGENS: FUNCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS

PubMed Central

Miller, Virginia M.; Duckles, Sue P.

2009-01-01

The impact of estrogen exposure in preventing or treating cardiovascular disease is controversial. But it is clear that estrogen has important effects on vascular physiology and pathophysiology, with potential therapeutic implications. Therefore, it is the goal of this review to summarize, using an integrated approach, current knowledge of the vascular effects of estrogen, both in humans and in experimental animals. Aspects of estrogen synthesis and receptors, as well as general mechanisms of estrogenic action are reviewed with an emphasis on issues particularly relevant to the vascular system. Recent understanding of the impact of estrogen on mitochondrial function suggests that the longer lifespan of women compared to men may depend in part on the ability of estrogen to decrease production of reactive oxygen species in mitochondria. Mechanisms by which estrogen increases endothelial vasodilator function, promotes angiogenesis and modulates autonomic function are summarized. Key aspects of the relevant pathophysiology of inflammation, atherosclerosis, stroke, migraine and thrombosis are reviewed concerning current knowledge of estrogenic effects. A number of emerging concepts are addressed throughout. These include the importance of estrogenic formulation and route of administration and the impact of genetic polymorphisms, either in estrogen receptors or in enzymes responsible for estrogen metabolism, on responsiveness to hormone treatment. The importance of local metabolism of estrogenic precursors and the impact of timing for initiation of treatment and its duration are also considered. While consensus opinions are emphasized, controversial views are presented in order to stimulate future research. PMID:18579753

Silk fibroin as biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.

PubMed

Melke, Johanna; Midha, Swati; Ghosh, Sourabh; Ito, Keita; Hofmann, Sandra

2016-02-01

Silk fibroin (SF) is a fibrous protein which is produced mainly by silkworms and spiders. Its unique mechanical properties, tunable biodegradation rate and the ability to support the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells along the osteogenic lineage, have made SF a favorable scaffold material for bone tissue engineering. SF can be processed into various scaffold forms, combined synergistically with other biomaterials to form composites and chemically modified, which provides an impressive toolbox and allows SF scaffolds to be tailored to specific applications. This review discusses and summarizes recent advancements in processing SF, focusing on different fabrication and functionalization methods and their application to grow bone tissue in vitro and in vivo. Potential areas for future research, current challenges, uncertainties and gaps in knowledge are highlighted. Silk fibroin is a natural biomaterial with remarkable biomedical and mechanical properties which make it favorable for a broad range of bone tissue engineering applications. It can be processed into different scaffold forms, combined synergistically with other biomaterials to form composites and chemically modified which provides a unique toolbox and allows silk fibroin scaffolds to be tailored to specific applications. This review discusses and summarizes recent advancements in processing silk fibroin, focusing on different fabrication and functionalization methods and their application to grow bone tissue in vitro and in vivo. Potential areas for future research, current challenges, uncertainties and gaps in knowledge are highlighted. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State of knowledge about energy development impacts on North American rangelands: An integrative approach.

PubMed

Kreuter, Urs P; Iwaasa, Alan D; Theodori, Gene L; Ansley, R James; Jackson, Robert B; Fraser, Lauchlan H; Naeth, M Anne; McGillivray, Susan; Moya, Edmundo Garcia

2016-09-15

To reduce dependence on foreign oil reserves, there has been a push in North America to develop alternative domestic energy resources. Relatively undeveloped renewable energy resources include biofuels and wind and solar energy, many of which occur predominantly on rangelands. Rangelands are also key areas for natural gas development from shales and tight sand formations. Accordingly, policies aimed at greater energy independence are likely to affect the delivery of crucial ecosystem services provided by rangelands. Assessing and dealing with the biophysical and socio-economic effects of energy development on rangeland ecosystems require an integrative and systematic approach that is predicated on a broad understanding of diverse issues related to energy development. In this article, we present a road map for developing an integrative assessment of energy development on rangelands in North America. We summarize current knowledge of socio-economic and biophysical aspects of rangeland based energy development, and we identify knowledge gaps and monitoring indicators to fill these knowledge gaps. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Women's alcohol use and alcoholism in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Wooksoo; Kim, Sungjae

2008-07-01

Recently South Korean society has experienced an increase in alcohol use related problems, as well as alcohol use among women. The purpose of this paper is to describe the cultural context of and to summarize the current state of knowledge of women's drinking in South Korea. Subscribing to Confucian principles, traditional Korean society has allowed drinking for men, but not for women. However, as society has changed, contemporary women drink at a younger age and consume larger amounts of alcohol than their prior generations. The current trends suggest an urgent need for research on the etiology and trajectory of women's alcohol use among various populations and the need to develop intervention programs tailored to the specific needs of women.

Management of Candida biofilms: state of knowledge and new options for prevention and eradication.

PubMed

Bujdáková, Helena

2016-01-01

Biofilms formed by Candida species (spp.) on medical devices represent a potential health risk. The focus of current research is searching for new options for the treatment and prevention of biofilm-associated infections using different approaches including modern nanotechnology. This review summarizes current information concerning the most relevant resistance/tolerance mechanisms to conventional drugs and a role of additional factors contributing to these phenomena in Candida spp. (mostly Candida albicans). Additionally, it provides an information update in prevention and eradication of a Candida biofilm including experiences with 'lock' therapy, potential utilization of small molecules in biomedical applications, and perspectives of using photodynamic inactivation in the control of a Candida biofilm.

New clinical practice guidelines on the classification, evaluation and management of childhood interstitial lung disease in infants: what do they mean?

PubMed

Wambach, Jennifer A; Young, Lisa R

2014-12-01

The American Thoracic Society (ATS) recently published a clinical practice guideline regarding the classification, evaluation, and management of childhood interstitial lung disease in infancy (chILD). As disease entities among infants with ILD are often distinct from forms seen in older children and adults, the guideline encourages an age-based classification system and focuses on the diagnostic approach to neonates and infants <2 years of age. The guideline reviews current evidence and recommendations for the evaluation, relevant genetic studies, and management of symptomatic infants. Here, we summarize the ATS guideline, highlight the major concepts, and discuss future strategies aimed at addressing current gaps in knowledge.

Pluripotent Stem Cells as a Robust Source of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

PubMed

Luzzani, Carlos D; Miriuka, Santiago G

2017-02-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been extensively studied over the past years for the treatment of different diseases. Most of the ongoing clinical trials currently involve the use of MSC derived from adult tissues. This source may have some limitations, particularly with therapies that may require extensive and repetitive cell dosage. However, nowadays, there is a staggering growth in literature on a new source of MSC. There is now increasing evidence about the mesenchymal differentiation from pluripotent stem cell (PSC). Here, we summarize the current knowledge of pluripotent-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PD-MSC). We present a historical perspective on the subject, and then discuss some critical questions that remain unanswered.

A review of currently used pesticides (CUPs) in Canadian air and precipitation. Part 2: Regional information and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuduri, Ludovic; Harner, Tom; Blanchard, Pierrette; Li, Yi-Fan; Poissant, Laurier; Waite, Don T.; Murphy, Clair; Belzer, Wayne

This paper, and its companion (that dealt with lindane and endosulfan) review available data on the presence of currently used pesticides (CUPs) in air and precipitation in Canada, since the late 1980s. Pesticides usage/sales are also given when available. Data from local studies/initiatives, region-wide monitoring networks and remote locations are compiled to summarize atmospheric levels of different CUP classes (e.g. acid herbicides, organophosphates, "new" organochlorines, triazines, etc.) and how this varies among regions and with time. Based on this information, and other parameters not specific to Canada, knowledge gaps are identified and ideas for further research work are proposed.

Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea

PubMed Central

Schiraldi, Chiara; Giuliano, Mariateresa; De Rosa, Mario

2002-01-01

Many archaea colonize extreme environments. They include hyperthermophiles, sulfur-metabolizing thermophiles, extreme halophiles and methanogens. Because extremophilic microorganisms have unusual properties, they are a potentially valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. Despite extensive research, however, there are few existing industrial applications of either archaeal biomass or archaeal enzymes. This review summarizes current knowledge about the biotechnological uses of archaea and archaeal enzymes with special attention to potential applications that are the subject of current experimental evaluation. Topics covered include cultivation methods, recent achievements in genomics, which are of key importance for the development of new biotechnological tools, and the application of wild-type biomasses, engineered microorganisms, enzymes and specific metabolites in particular bioprocesses of industrial interest. PMID:15803645

Perspectives on biotechnological applications of archaea.

PubMed

Schiraldi, Chiara; Giuliano, Mariateresa; De Rosa, Mario

2002-09-01

Many archaea colonize extreme environments. They include hyperthermophiles, sulfur-metabolizing thermophiles, extreme halophiles and methanogens. Because extremophilic microorganisms have unusual properties, they are a potentially valuable resource in the development of novel biotechnological processes. Despite extensive research, however, there are few existing industrial applications of either archaeal biomass or archaeal enzymes. This review summarizes current knowledge about the biotechnological uses of archaea and archaeal enzymes with special attention to potential applications that are the subject of current experimental evaluation. Topics covered include cultivation methods, recent achievements in genomics, which are of key importance for the development of new biotechnological tools, and the application of wild-type biomasses, engineered microorganisms, enzymes and specific metabolites in particular bioprocesses of industrial interest.

Targeting the Autophagy/Lysosomal Degradation Pathway in Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Rivero-Ríos, Pilar; Madero-Pérez, Jesús; Fernández, Belén; Hilfiker, Sabine

2016-01-01

Autophagy is a cellular quality control mechanism crucial for neuronal homeostasis. Defects in autophagy are critically associated with mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD), a common and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. Autophagic dysfunction in PD can occur at several stages of the autophagy/lysosomal degradative machinery, contributing to the formation of intracellular protein aggregates and eventual neuronal cell death. Therefore, autophagy inducers may comprise a promising new therapeutic approach to combat neurodegeneration in PD. Several currently available FDA-approved drugs have been shown to enhance autophagy, which may allow for their repurposing for use in novel clinical conditions including PD. This review summarizes our current knowledge of deficits in the autophagy/lysosomal degradation pathways associated with PD, and highlight current approaches which target this pathway as possible means towards novel therapeutic strategies.

The arrival of JAK inhibitors: advancing the treatment of immune and hematologic disorders

PubMed Central

Furumoto, Yasuko; Gadina, Massimo

2013-01-01

Altered production of cytokines can result in pathologies ranging from autoimmune diseases to malignancies. The Janus Kinases family is a small group of receptor-associated signaling molecules that is essential to the signal cascade originating from type I and type II cytokine receptors. Inhibition of tyrosine kinases enzymatic activity using small molecules has recently become a powerful tool for treatment of several malignancies. Twenty years after the discovery of these enzymes, two inhibitors for this class of kinases have been approved for clinical use and others are currently in the final stage of development. Here we review the principles of cytokines signaling, we summarize our current knowledge of the approved inhibitors, and briefly introduce some of the inhibitors that are currently under development. PMID:23743669

Drug Development for Metastasis Prevention.

PubMed

Fontebasso, Yari; Dubinett, Steven M

2015-01-01

Metastatic disease is responsible for 90% of death from solid tumors. However, only a minority of metastasis-specific targets has been exploited therapeutically, and effective prevention and suppression of metastatic disease is still an elusive goal. In this review, we will first summarize the current state of knowledge about the molecular features of the disease, with particular focus on steps and targets potentially amenable to therapeutic intervention. We will then discuss the reasons underlying the paucity of metastatic drugs in the current oncological arsenal and potential ways to overcome this therapeutic gap. We reason that the discovery of novel promising targets, an increased understanding of the molecular features of the disease, the effect of disruptive technologies, and a shift in the current preclinical and clinical settings have the potential to create more successful drug development endeavors.

[The application of climatic therapy in the health resorts of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus: the current state-of-the-art and the prospects for the further development].

PubMed

Pestereva, N M; Khechumyan, A F; Udovenko, I L; Bekhterev, V N

2016-01-01

The present review summarizes the data published in the domestic and foreign literature concerning the history of climatic therapy, the current concepts of the mechanisms of action of the climatic and weather factors on the human body, the modern therapeutic modalities and technologies for health promotion. We consider not only the achievements but also the problems arising from insufficient knowledge of the impacts of current climate and extreme weather conditions on the state of human health and some disputable issues of the new methods and technologies of climatic therapy. the promising areas of further research and developments pertaining to climatic therapy as practiced under conditions of the Black Sea coast resorts.

Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers.

PubMed

Belloir, Christine; Neiers, Fabrice; Briand, Loïc

2017-07-01

The current review summarizes and discusses current knowledge on sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. The perception of sweet taste is mediated by the type 1 taste receptor 2 (T1R2)/type 1 taste receptor 3 (T1R3) receptor, which is expressed in the oral cavity, where it provides input on the caloric and macronutrient contents of ingested food. This receptor recognizes all the compounds (natural or artificial) perceived as sweet by people. Sweeteners are highly chemically diverse including natural sugars, sugar alcohols, natural and synthetic sweeteners, and sweet-tasting proteins. This single receptor is also the target for developing novel sweet enhancers. Importantly, the expression of a functional T1R2/T1R3 receptor is described in numerous extraoral tissues. In this review, the physiological impact of sweeteners is discussed. Sweeteners and sweetness enhancers are perceived through the T1R2/T1R3 taste receptor present both in mouth and numerous extraoral tissues. The accumulated knowledge on sugar substitutes raises the issue of potential health effects.

Signaling Pathways in Cardiac Myocyte Apoptosis

PubMed Central

Xia, Peng; Liu, Yuening

2016-01-01

Cardiovascular diseases, the number 1 cause of death worldwide, are frequently associated with apoptotic death of cardiac myocytes. Since cardiomyocyte apoptosis is a highly regulated process, pharmacological intervention of apoptosis pathways may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for a number of cardiovascular diseases and disorders including myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, chemotherapy cardiotoxicity, and end-stage heart failure. Despite rapid growth of our knowledge in apoptosis signaling pathways, a clinically applicable treatment targeting this cellular process is currently unavailable. To help identify potential innovative directions for future research, it is necessary to have a full understanding of the apoptotic pathways currently known to be functional in cardiac myocytes. Here, we summarize recent progress in the regulation of cardiomyocyte apoptosis by multiple signaling molecules and pathways, with a focus on the involvement of these pathways in the pathogenesis of heart disease. In addition, we provide an update regarding bench to bedside translation of this knowledge and discuss unanswered questions that need further investigation. PMID:28101515

Mechanisms of chronic pain - key considerations for appropriate physical therapy management.

PubMed

Courtney, Carol A; Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, César; Bond, Samantha

2017-07-01

In last decades, knowledge of nociceptive pain mechanisms has expanded rapidly. The use of quantitative sensory testing has provided evidence that peripheral and central sensitization mechanisms play a relevant role in localized and widespread chronic pain syndromes. In fact, almost any patient suffering with a chronic pain condition will demonstrate impairments in the central nervous system. In addition, it is accepted that pain is associated with different types of trigger factors including social, physiological, and psychological. This rational has provoked a change in the understanding of potential mechanisms of manual therapies, changing from a biomechanical/medical viewpoint, to a neurophysiological/nociceptive viewpoint. Therefore, interventions for patients with chronic pain should be applied based on current knowledge of nociceptive mechanisms since determining potential drivers of the sensitization process is critical for effective management. The current paper reviews mechanisms of chronic pain from a clinical and neurophysiological point of view and summarizes key messages for clinicians for proper management of individuals with chronic pain.

Critical review on the mechanisms of maturation stress generation in trees.

PubMed

Alméras, Tancrède; Clair, Bruno

2016-09-01

Trees control their posture by generating asymmetric mechanical stress around the periphery of the trunk or branches. This stress is produced in wood during the maturation of the cell wall. When the need for reaction is high, it is accompanied by strong changes in cell organization and composition called reaction wood, namely compression wood in gymnosperms and tension wood in angiosperms. The process by which stress is generated in the cell wall during its formation is not yet known, and various hypothetical mechanisms have been proposed in the literature. Here we aim at discriminating between these models. First, we summarize current knowledge about reaction wood structure, state and behaviour relevant to the understanding of maturation stress generation. Then, the mechanisms proposed in the literature are listed and discussed in order to identify which can be rejected based on their inconsistency with current knowledge at the frontier between plant science and mechanical engineering. © 2016 The Author(s).

Knowledge representation and management: transforming textual information into useful knowledge.

PubMed

Rassinoux, A-M

2010-01-01

To summarize current outstanding research in the field of knowledge representation and management. Synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2010. Four interesting papers, dealing with structured knowledge, have been selected for the section knowledge representation and management. Combining the newest techniques in computational linguistics and natural language processing with the latest methods in statistical data analysis, machine learning and text mining has proved to be efficient for turning unstructured textual information into meaningful knowledge. Three of the four selected papers for the section knowledge representation and management corroborate this approach and depict various experiments conducted to .extract meaningful knowledge from unstructured free texts such as extracting cancer disease characteristics from pathology reports, or extracting protein-protein interactions from biomedical papers, as well as extracting knowledge for the support of hypothesis generation in molecular biology from the Medline literature. Finally, the last paper addresses the level of formally representing and structuring information within clinical terminologies in order to render such information easily available and shareable among the health informatics community. Delivering common powerful tools able to automatically extract meaningful information from the huge amount of electronically unstructured free texts is an essential step towards promoting sharing and reusability across applications, domains, and institutions thus contributing to building capacities worldwide.

Choose your destiny: Make a cell fate decision with COUP-TFII.

PubMed

Wu, San-Pin; Yu, Cheng-Tai; Tsai, Sophia Y; Tsai, Ming-Jer

2016-03-01

Cell fate specification is a critical process to generate cells with a wide range of characteristics from stem and progenitor cells. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII serves as a key regulator in determining the cell identity during embryonic development. The present review summarizes our current knowledge on molecular mechanisms by which COUP-TFII employs to define the cell fates, with special emphasis on cardiovascular and renal systems. These novel insights pave the road for future studies of regenerative medicine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Choose Your Destiny: Make A Cell Fate Decision with COUP-TFII

PubMed Central

Wu, San-Pin; Yu, Cheng-Tai; Tsai, Sophia Y.; Tsai, Ming-Jer

2015-01-01

Cell fate specification is a critical process to generate cells with a wide range of characteristics from stem and progenitor cells. Emerging evidence demonstrates that the orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII serves as a key regulator in determining the cell identity during embryonic development. The present review summarizes our current knowledge on molecular mechanisms by which COUP-TFII employs to define the cell fates, with special emphasis on cardiovascular and renal systems. These novel insights pave the road for future studies of regenerative medicine. PMID:26658017

Concept of software interface for BCI systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svejda, Jaromir; Zak, Roman; Jasek, Roman

2016-06-01

Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology is intended to control external system by brain activity. One of main part of such system is software interface, which carries about clear communication between brain and either computer or additional devices connected to computer. This paper is organized as follows. Firstly, current knowledge about human brain is briefly summarized to points out its complexity. Secondly, there is described a concept of BCI system, which is then used to build an architecture of proposed software interface. Finally, there are mentioned disadvantages of sensing technology discovered during sensing part of our research.

Hazards to space workers from ionizing radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyman, J. T.

1980-01-01

A compilation of background information and a preliminary assessment of the potential risks to workers from the ionizing radiation encountered in space is provided. The report: (1) summarizes the current knowledge of the space radiation environment to which space workers will be exposed; (2) reviews the biological effects of ionizing radiation considered of major importance to a SPS project; and (3) discusses the health implications of exposure of populations of space workers to the radiations likely to penetrate through the shielding provided by the SPS work stations and habitat shelters of the SPS Reference System.

[Regional nerve block in facial surgery].

PubMed

Gramkow, Christina; Sørensen, Jesper

2008-02-11

Regional nerve blocking techniques offer a suitable alternative to local infiltration anaesthesia for facial soft tissue-surgery. Moreover, they present several advantages over general anaesthesia, including smoother recovery, fewer side effects, residual analgesia into the postoperative period, earlier discharge from the recovery room and reduced costs. The branches of the trigeminal nerve and the sensory nerves originating from the upper cervical plexus can be targeted at several anatomical locations. We summarize current knowledge on facial nerve block techniques and recommend ten nerve blocks providing efficient anaesthesia for the entire head and upper-neck region.

Cocaine-Induced Neurodevelopmental Deficits and Underlying Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Martin, Melissa M.; Graham, Devon L.; McCarthy, Deirdre M.; Bhide, Pradeep G.; Stanwood, Gregg D.

2017-01-01

Exposure to drugs early in life has complex and long-lasting implications for brain structure and function. This review summarizes work to date on the immediate and long-term effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine. In utero cocaine exposure produces disruptions in brain monoamines, particularly dopamine, during sensitive periods of brain development, and leads to permanent changes in specific brain circuits, molecules, and behavior. Here, we integrate clinical studies and significance with mechanistic preclinical studies, to define our current knowledge base and identify gaps for future investigation. PMID:27345015

Understanding the interplay between host immunity and Epstein-Barr virus in NPC patients

PubMed Central

Shen, Yong; Zhang, Suzhan; Sun, Ren; Wu, Tingting; Qian, Jing

2015-01-01

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been used as a paradigm for studying host–virus interactions, not only because of its importance as a human oncogenic virus associated with several malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) but also owing to its sophisticated strategies to subvert the host antiviral responses. An understanding of the interplay between EBV and NPC is critical for the development of EBV-targeted immunotherapy. Here, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the host immune responses and EBV immune evasion mechanisms in the context of NPC. PMID:26038769

Silymarin for hepatitis C virus infection

PubMed Central

Polyak, Stephen J; Oberlies, Nicholas H; Pécheur, Eve-Isabelle; Dahari, Harel; Ferenci, Peter; Pawlotsky, Jean-Michel

2014-01-01

Silymarin, an extract of milk thistle seeds, and silymarin-derived compounds have been considered hepatoprotective since the plant was first described in ancient times. Hepatoprotection is defined as several non-mutually exclusive biological activities including antiviral, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions. Despite clear evidence for silymarin-induced hepatoprotection in cell culture and animal models, evidence for beneficial effects in humans has been equivocal. This review will summarize the current state of knowledge on silymarin in the context of hepatitis C virus infection. The information was collated from a recent workshop on silibinin in Germany. PMID:23011959

Type II toxin: antitoxin systems. More than small selfish entities?

PubMed

Rocker, Andrea; Meinhart, Anton

2016-05-01

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) modules regulate metabolism and viability of bacteria and archaea. In type II TA systems these functions are generally thought to be performed by two small proteins. However, evidence is increasing that the toxins are much more diverse and can form multi-domain proteins. Recently, we published a novel type II TA system in which toxin and antitoxin are covalently linked into a single polypeptide chain. In this review we summarize the current knowledge on these elongated toxin homologs and provide perspectives for future study.

Visual control of prey-capture flight in dragonflies.

PubMed

Olberg, Robert M

2012-04-01

Interacting with a moving object poses a computational problem for an animal's nervous system. This problem has been elegantly solved by the dragonfly, a formidable visual predator on flying insects. The dragonfly computes an interception flight trajectory and steers to maintain it during its prey-pursuit flight. This review summarizes current knowledge about pursuit behavior and neurons thought to control interception in the dragonfly. When understood, this system has the potential for explaining how a small group of neurons can control complex interactions with moving objects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

14th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies Task Force Report on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome.

PubMed

Cervera, Ricard; Rodríguez-Pintó, Ignasi; Colafrancesco, Serena; Conti, Fabrizio; Valesini, Guido; Rosário, Cristina; Agmon-Levin, Nancy; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Ferrão, Claudia; Faria, Raquel; Vasconcelos, Carlos; Signorelli, Flavio; Espinosa, Gerard

2014-07-01

The 'Task Force on Catastrophic Antiphospholipid Syndrome (CAPS)' was developed on the occasion of the 14th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies. The objectives of this Task Force were to assess the current knowledge on pathogenesis, clinical and laboratory features, diagnosis and classification, precipitating factors and treatment of this condition in order to address recommendations for future research. This article summarizes the studies analyzed by the Task Force, its recommendations and the future research agenda. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Research advances on cortical functional and structural deficits of amblyopia].

PubMed

Wu, Y; Liu, L Q

2017-05-11

Previous studies have observed functional deficits in primary visual cortex. With the development of functional magnetic resonance imaging and electrophysiological technique, the research of the striate, extra-striate cortex and higher-order cortical deficit underlying amblyopia reaches a new stage. The neural mechanisms of amblyopia show that anomalous responses exist throughout the visual processing hierarchy, including the functional and structural abnormalities. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge about structural and functional deficits of brain regions associated with amblyopia. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2017, 53: 392 - 395) .

Dynamics of West Nile virus evolution in mosquito vectors.

PubMed

Grubaugh, Nathan D; Ebel, Gregory D

2016-12-01

West Nile virus remains the most common cause of arboviral encephalitis in North America. Since it was introduced, it has undergone adaptive genetic change as it spread throughout the continent. The WNV transmission cycle is relatively tractable in the laboratory. Thus the virus serves as a convenient model system for studying the population biology of mosquito-borne flaviviruses as they undergo transmission to and from mosquitoes and vertebrates. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the population dynamics of this virus within mosquito vectors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New insights into an X-traordinary viral protein

PubMed Central

Schaller, Torsten; Bauby, Hélène; Hué, Stéphane; Malim, Michael H.; Goujon, Caroline

2014-01-01

Vpx is a protein encoded by members of the HIV-2/SIVsmm and SIVrcm/SIVmnd-2 lineages of primate lentiviruses, and is packaged into viral particles. Vpx plays a critical role during the early steps of the viral life cycle and has been shown to counteract SAMHD1, a restriction factor in myeloid and resting T cells. However, it is becoming evident that Vpx is a multifunctional protein in that SAMHD1 antagonism is likely not its sole role. This review summarizes the current knowledge on this X-traordinary protein. PMID:24782834

[Ebola virus disease].

PubMed

Nazimek, Katarzyna; Bociaga-Jasik, Monika; Bryniarski, Krzysztof; Gałas, Aleksander; Garlicki, Aleksander; Gawda, Anna; Gawlik, Grzegorz; Gil, Krzysztof; Kosz-Vnenchak, Magdalena; Mrozek-Budzyn, Dorota; Olszanecki, Rafał; Piatek, Anna; Zawilińska, Barbara; Marcinkiewicz, Janusz

2014-01-01

Ebola is one of the most virulent zoonotic RNA viruses causing in humans haemorrhagic fever with fatality ratio reaching 90%. During the outbreak of 2014 the number of deaths exceeded 8.000. The "imported" cases reported in Western Europe and USA highlighted the extreme risk of Ebola virus spreading outside the African countries. Thus, haemorrhagic fever outbreak is an international epidemiological problem, also due to the lack of approved prevention and therapeutic strategies. The editorial review article briefly summarizes current knowledge on Ebola virus disease epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis as well as possible prevention and treatment.

Globalization and its discontents: challenges to developmental theory and practice in Africa.

PubMed

Super, Charles M; Harkness, Sara

2008-04-01

The three contributions to this Special Section on Culture and Human Development are summarized and critiqued. In considering the nature of contemporary psychological science, as well as applications to early childhood care and development, education to prevent HIV/AIDS, and formal academic education, the various authors are in general agreement on the limitations of current knowledge as it applies to African populations. There is also a common focus on the promise of scientific procedures that take seriously the importance of local understandings, institutions, and social settings.

Extragalactic radio surveys in the pre-Square Kilometre Array era

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The era of the Square Kilometre Array is almost upon us, and pathfinder telescopes are already in operation. This brief review summarizes our current knowledge of extragalactic radio sources, accumulated through six decades of continuum surveys at the low-frequency end of the electromagnetic spectrum and the extensive complementary observations at other wavelengths necessary to gain this understanding. The relationships between radio survey data and surveys at other wavelengths are discussed. Some of the outstanding questions are identified and prospects over the next few years are outlined. PMID:28791175

Host Factors in Ebola Infection.

PubMed

Rasmussen, Angela L

2016-08-31

Ebola virus (EBOV) emerged in West Africa in 2014 to devastating effect, and demonstrated that infection can cause a broad range of severe disease manifestations. As the virus itself was genetically similar to other Zaire ebolaviruses, the spectrum of pathology likely resulted from variable responses to infection in a large and genetically diverse population. This review comprehensively summarizes current knowledge of the host response to EBOV infection, including pathways hijacked by the virus to facilitate replication, host processes that contribute directly to pathogenesis, and host-pathogen interactions involved in subverting or antagonizing host antiviral immunity.

The Radio-X-ray Relation in Cool Stars: Are We Headed Toward a Divorce?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbrich, J.; Wolk, S. J.; Güdel, M.; Benz, A.; Osten, R.; Linsky, J. L.; McLean, M.; Loinard, L.; Berger, E.

2011-12-01

This splinter session was devoted to reviewing our current knowledge of correlated X-ray and radio emission from cool stars in order to prepare for new large radio observatories such as the EVLA. A key interest was to discuss why the X-ray and radio luminosities of some cool stars are in clear breach of a correlation that holds for other active stars, the so-called Güdel-Benz relation. This article summarizes the contributions whereas the actual presentations can be accessed on the splinter website.

Environmental factors associated with asthma.

PubMed Central

Walker, Bailus; Stokes, Lynette D.; Warren, Rueben

2003-01-01

Asthma, a disease of attacks and remission, continues to account for substantial morbidity and direct economic costs. Numerous studies--epidemiologic, toxicologic and clinical--present evidence for a broad spectrum of environmental risk factors associated with asthma. This review summarizes current thinking on a subset of these factors. Knowledge of potential environmental determinants of asthma is important to both the patient and healthcare professional in the application of multiple modalities of medical and environmental intervention for management of the development, and exacerbation of this chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. PMID:12760611

Transcription termination factor Rho: a hub linking diverse physiological processes in bacteria.

PubMed

Grylak-Mielnicka, Aleksandra; Bidnenko, Vladimir; Bardowski, Jacek; Bidnenko, Elena

2016-03-01

Factor-dependent termination of transcription in bacteria relies on the activity of a specific RNA helicase, the termination factor Rho. Rho is nearly ubiquitous in bacteria, but the extent to which its physiological functions are conserved throughout the different phyla remains unknown. Most of our current knowledge concerning the mechanism of Rho's activity and its physiological roles comes from the model micro-organism Escherichia coli, where Rho is essential and involved in the control of several important biological processes. However, the rather comprehensive knowledge about the general mechanisms of action and activities of Rho based on the E. coli paradigm cannot be directly extrapolated to other bacteria. Recent studies performed in different species favour the view that Rho-dependent termination plays a significant role even in bacteria where Rho is not essential. Here, we summarize the current state of the ever-increasing knowledge about the various aspects of the physiological functions of Rho, such as limitation of deleterious foreign DNA expression, control of gene expression, suppression of pervasive transcription, prevention of R-loops and maintenance of chromosome integrity, focusing on similarities and differences of the activities of Rho in various bacterial species.

Presence and metabolism of the anabolic steroid boldenone in various animal species: a review.

PubMed

De Brabander, H F; Poelmans, S; Schilt, R; Stephany, R W; Le Bizec, B; Draisci, R; Sterk, S S; van Ginkel, L A; Courtheyn, D; Van Hoof, N; Macrì, A; De Wasch, K

2004-06-01

The review summarizes current knowledge on the possible illegal use of the anabolic steroid boldenone. The presence of' boldenone and metabolites in different animal species and the possibility of the occurrence of endogenous boldenone and metabolites is assessed, as are the methods of analysis used for detection. Different laboratories in the European Union have examined the occurrence of boldenone and its metabolites. The results were discussed at different meetings of a European Commission DG-SANCO Working Party) and summarized in an expert report. The situation of the different laboratories at this time is also covered herein. The overall conclusion of the Working Party was that there was a necessity for further research to distinguish between naturally occurring and illegally used boldenone forms. The confirmation of the presence of boldenone metabolites (free and conjugated forms) in certain matrices of animals is proposed as a marker for the illegal treatment with boldenone.

The first international workshop on the epigenetics of osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Meulenbelt, Ingrid M; Bhutani, Nidhi; den Hollander, Wouter; Gay, Steffen; Oppermann, Udo; Reynard, Louise N; Skelton, Andrew J; Young, David A; Beier, Frank; Loughlin, John

2017-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major clinical problem across the world, in part due to the lack of disease-modifying drugs resulting, to a significant degree, from our incomplete understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of the disease. Emerging evidence points to a role of epigenetics in the pathogenesis of OA, but research in this area is still in its early stages. In order to summarize current knowledge and to facilitate the potential coordination of future research activities, the first international workshop on the epigenetics of OA was held in Amsterdam in October 2015. Recent findings on DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, histone modifications, noncoding RNAs, and other epigenetic mechanisms were presented and discussed. The workshop demonstrated the advantage of bringing together those working in this nascent field and highlights from the event are summarized in this report in the form of summaries from invited speakers and organizers.

Microglia and Beyond: Innate Immune Cells As Regulators of Brain Development and Behavioral Function.

PubMed

Lenz, Kathryn M; Nelson, Lars H

2018-01-01

Innate immune cells play a well-documented role in the etiology and disease course of many brain-based conditions, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and brain cancers. In contrast, it is only recently becoming clear that innate immune cells, primarily brain resident macrophages called microglia, are also key regulators of brain development. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding microglia in brain development, with particular emphasis on how microglia during development are distinct from microglia later in life. We also summarize the effects of early life perturbations on microglia function in the developing brain, the role that biological sex plays in microglia function, and the potential role that microglia may play in developmental brain disorders. Finally, given how new the field of developmental neuroimmunology is, we highlight what has yet to be learned about how innate immune cells shape the development of brain and behavior.

Jean-Louis Petit (1674-1750): a pioneer anatomist and surgeon and his contribution to orthopaedic surgery and trauma surgery.

PubMed

Markatos, Konstantinos; Androutsos, Georgios; Karamanou, Marianna; Tzagkarakis, Georgios; Kaseta, Maria; Mavrogenis, Andreas

2018-05-11

The purpose of this review is to summarize the life and work of Jean-Louis Petit, his inventions, his discoveries, and his impact on the evolution of surgery of his era. A thorough search of the literature was undertaken in PubMed and Google Scholar as well as in physical books in libraries to summarize current and classic literature on Petit. Jean-Louis Petit (1674-1750) was an eminent anatomist and surgeon of his era with an invaluable contribution to clinical knowledge, surgical technique, and instrumentation as well as innovative therapeutic modalities and basic scientific discoveries. Jean-Louis Petit was an innovative anatomist and surgeon as well as an excellent clinician of his era. He revolutionized the surgical technique of his era with a significant contribution to what would later become orthopaedic surgery.

Biology of Acinetobacter baumannii: Pathogenesis, Antibiotic Resistance Mechanisms, and Prospective Treatment Options

PubMed Central

Lee, Chang-Ro; Lee, Jung Hun; Park, Moonhee; Park, Kwang Seung; Bae, Il Kwon; Kim, Young Bae; Cha, Chang-Jun; Jeong, Byeong Chul; Lee, Sang Hee

2017-01-01

Acinetobacter baumannii is undoubtedly one of the most successful pathogens responsible for hospital-acquired nosocomial infections in the modern healthcare system. Due to the prevalence of infections and outbreaks caused by multi-drug resistant A. baumannii, few antibiotics are effective for treating infections caused by this pathogen. To overcome this problem, knowledge of the pathogenesis and antibiotic resistance mechanisms of A. baumannii is important. In this review, we summarize current studies on the virulence factors that contribute to A. baumannii pathogenesis, including porins, capsular polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, phospholipases, outer membrane vesicles, metal acquisition systems, and protein secretion systems. Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance of this organism, including acquirement of β-lactamases, up-regulation of multidrug efflux pumps, modification of aminoglycosides, permeability defects, and alteration of target sites, are also discussed. Lastly, novel prospective treatment options for infections caused by multi-drug resistant A. baumannii are summarized. PMID:28348979

Knowledge-for-Action Theories in Evaluation: Knowledge Utilization, Diffusion, Implementation, Transfer, and Translation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ottoson, Judith M.

2009-01-01

Five knowledge-for-action theories are summarized and compared in this chapter for their evaluation implications: knowledge utilization, diffusion, implementation, transfer, and translation. Usually dispersed across multiple fields and disciplines, these theories are gathered here for a common focus on knowledge and change. Knowledge in some form…

Summarizing an Ontology: A "Big Knowledge" Coverage Approach.

PubMed

Zheng, Ling; Perl, Yehoshua; Elhanan, Gai; Ochs, Christopher; Geller, James; Halper, Michael

2017-01-01

Maintenance and use of a large ontology, consisting of thousands of knowledge assertions, are hampered by its scope and complexity. It is important to provide tools for summarization of ontology content in order to facilitate user "big picture" comprehension. We present a parameterized methodology for the semi-automatic summarization of major topics in an ontology, based on a compact summary of the ontology, called an "aggregate partial-area taxonomy", followed by manual enhancement. An experiment is presented to test the effectiveness of such summarization measured by coverage of a given list of major topics of the corresponding application domain. SNOMED CT's Specimen hierarchy is the test-bed. A domain-expert provided a list of topics that serves as a gold standard. The enhanced results show that the aggregate taxonomy covers most of the domain's main topics.

Self-Monitoring and Knowledge-Building in Learning by Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roscoe, Rod D.

2014-01-01

Prior research has established that learning by teaching depends upon peer tutors' engagement in knowledge-building, in which tutors integrate their knowledge and generate new knowledge through reasoning. However, many tutors adopt a "knowledge-telling bias" defined by shallow summarizing of source materials and didactic lectures.…

Current status of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region: issues, challenges, and future directions.

PubMed

Al-Abri, Seif S; Abaidani, Idris Al; Fazlalipour, Mehdi; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Leblebicioglu, Hakan; Pshenichnaya, Natalia; Memish, Ziad A; Hewson, Roger; Petersen, Eskild; Mala, Peter; Nhu Nguyen, Tran Minh; Rahman Malik, Mamunur; Formenty, Pierre; Jeffries, Rosanna

2017-05-01

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread, tick-borne viral disease affecting humans. The disease is endemic in many regions, such as Africa, Asia, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central Asia. Recently, the incidence of CCHF has increased rapidly in the countries of the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region (WHO EMR), with sporadic human cases and outbreaks of CCHF being reported from a number of countries in the region. Despite the rapidly growing incidence of the disease, there are currently no accurate data on the burden of the disease in the region due to the different surveillance systems used for CCHF in these countries. In an effort to increase our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for the transmission of the CCHF virus (CCHFV; a Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae) in the WHO EMR, and to identify the current knowledge gaps that are hindering effective control interventions, a sub-regional meeting was organized in Muscat, Oman, from December 7 to 9, 2015. This article summarizes the current knowledge of the disease in the region, identifies the knowledge gaps that present challenges for the prevention and control of CCHFV, and details a strategic framework for research and development activities that would be necessary to curb the ongoing and new threats posed by CCHFV. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Immune microenvironment in colorectal cancer: a new hallmark to change old paradigms.

PubMed

de la Cruz-Merino, Luis; Henao Carrasco, Fernando; Vicente Baz, David; Nogales Fernández, Esteban; Reina Zoilo, Juan José; Codes Manuel de Villena, Manuel; Pulido, Enrique Grande

2011-01-01

Impact of immune microenvironment in prognosis of solid tumors has been extensively studied in the last few years. Specifically in colorectal carcinoma, increased knowledge of the immune events around these tumors and their relation with clinical outcomes have led to consider immune microenvironment as one of the most important prognostic factors in this disease. In this review we will summarize and update the current knowledge with respect to this intriguing and complex new hallmark of cancer, paying special attention to infiltration by T-infiltrating lymphocytes and their subtypes in colorectal cancer, as well as its eventual clinical translation in terms of long-term prognosis. Finally, we suggest some possible investigational approaches based on combinatorial strategies to trigger and boost immune reaction against tumor cells.

The Efficacy and Toxicity of Using the Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), and Its Products in Chemotherapy (Review).

PubMed

Cizmarikova, Martina

2017-01-01

Around the world, cancer patients often combine conventional anticancer treatment with complementary alternative medicines derived from natural sources such as fungi and mushrooms, including the popular lingzhi or reishi medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum. Many studies to date have described the anticancer properties of G. lucidum, which are attributed to its major pharmacologically bioactive compounds, such as terpenoids and polysaccharides. Moreover, several scientific observations have suggested a potential beneficial therapeutic strategy using G. lucidum in combination with chemotherapeutic agents to improve therapeutic outcome. However, to my knowledge, no systematic review has been conducted in this area. Therefore, this review summarizes the current knowledge on G. lucidum or its individual components in relation to chemotherapeutic efficacy, ability to reverse multidrug resistance, and chemotherapeutic toxicity.

Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in women with nonobstructive ischemic heart disease: insights from magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy.

PubMed

Nelson, Michael D

2017-10-01

Ischemic heart disease, in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease, is prevalent in women and constitutes a major risk factor for developing major adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure. For decades, diagnosis was considered benign and often minimized; however, it is now known that this etiology carries much risk and is a significant burden to the health care system. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on nonobstructive ischemic heart disease (NOIHD), the association between NOIHD and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, potential links between NOIHD and the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and therapeutic options and knowledge gaps for patients living with NOIHD. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Biomolecular and clinical practice in malignant pleural mesothelioma and lung cancer: what thoracic surgeons should know†

PubMed Central

Opitz, Isabelle; Bueno, Raphael; Lim, Eric; Pass, Harvey; Pastorino, Ugo; Boeri, Mattia; Rocco, Gaetano

2014-01-01

Today, molecular-profile-directed therapy is a guiding principle of modern thoracic oncology. The knowledge of new biomolecular technology applied to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of lung cancer and mesothelioma should be part of the 21st century thoracic surgeons' professional competence. The European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) Biology Club aims at providing a comprehensive insight into the basic biology of the diseases we are treating. During the 2013 ESTS Annual Meeting, different experts of the field presented the current knowledge about diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in malignant pleural mesothelioma including new perspectives as well as the role and potential application of microRNA and genomic sequencing for lung cancer, which are summarized in the present article. PMID:24623168

Recognition and Clinical Presentation of Invasive Fungal Disease in Neonates and Children.

PubMed

King, Jill; Pana, Zoi-Dorothea; Lehrnbecher, Thomas; Steinbach, William J; Warris, Adilia

2017-09-01

Invasive fungal diseases (IFDs) are devastating opportunistic infections that result in significant morbidity and death in a broad range of pediatric patients, particularly those with a compromised immune system. Recognizing them can be difficult, because nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms or isolated fever are frequently the only presenting features. Therefore, a high index of clinical suspicion is necessary in patients at increased risk of IFD, which requires knowledge of the pediatric patient population at risk, additional predisposing factors within this population, and the clinical signs and symptoms of IFD. With this review, we aim to summarize current knowledge regarding the recognition and clinical presentation of IFD in neonates and children. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

Blood-based diagnostics of traumatic brain injuries

PubMed Central

Mondello, Stefania; Muller, Uwe; Jeromin, Andreas; Streeter, Jackson; Hayes, Ronald L; Wang, Kevin KW

2011-01-01

Traumatic brain injury is a major health and socioeconomic problem that affects all societies. However, traditional approaches to the classification of clinical severity are the subject of debate and are being supplemented with structural and functional neuroimaging, as the need for biomarkers that reflect elements of the pathogenetic process is widely recognized. Basic science research and developments in the field of proteomics have greatly advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in damage and have led to the discovery and rapid detection of new biomarkers that were not available previously. However, translating this research for patients' benefits remains a challenge. In this article, we summarize new developments, current knowledge and controversies, focusing on the potential role of these biomarkers as diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring tools of brain-injured patients. PMID:21171922

An Update on Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

PubMed Central

Appannanavar, Suma B; Mishra, Baijayantimala

2011-01-01

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is one of the deadly hemorrhagic fevers that are endemic in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. It is a tick-borne zoonotic viral disease caused by CCHF virus of genus Nairovirus (family Bunyaviridae). CCHF not only forms an important public health threat but has a significant effect on the healthcare personnel, especially in resource-poor countries. India was always a potentially endemic area until an outbreak hit parts of Gujarat, taking four lives including the treating medical team. The current review is an attempt to summarize the updated knowledge on the disease particularly in modern era, with special emphasis on nosocomial infections. The knowledge about the disease may help answer certain questions regarding entry of virus in India and future threat to community. PMID:21887063

Phage-Phagocyte Interactions and Their Implications for Phage Application as Therapeutics

PubMed Central

Jończyk-Matysiak, Ewa; Weber-Dąbrowska, Beata; Owczarek, Barbara; Międzybrodzki, Ryszard; Łusiak-Szelachowska, Marzanna; Łodej, Norbert; Górski, Andrzej

2017-01-01

Phagocytes are the main component of innate immunity. They remove pathogens and particles from organisms using their bactericidal tools in the form of both reactive oxygen species and degrading enzymes—contained in granules—that are potentially toxic proteins. Therefore, it is important to investigate the possible interactions between phages and immune cells and avoid any phage side effects on them. Recent progress in knowledge concerning the influence of phages on phagocytes is also important as such interactions may shape the immune response. In this review we have summarized the current knowledge on phage interactions with phagocytes described so far and their potential implications for phage therapy. The data suggesting that phage do not downregulate important phagocyte functions are especially relevant for the concept of phage therapy. PMID:28613272

Phage-Phagocyte Interactions and Their Implications for Phage Application as Therapeutics.

PubMed

Jończyk-Matysiak, Ewa; Weber-Dąbrowska, Beata; Owczarek, Barbara; Międzybrodzki, Ryszard; Łusiak-Szelachowska, Marzanna; Łodej, Norbert; Górski, Andrzej

2017-06-14

Phagocytes are the main component of innate immunity. They remove pathogens and particles from organisms using their bactericidal tools in the form of both reactive oxygen species and degrading enzymes-contained in granules-that are potentially toxic proteins. Therefore, it is important to investigate the possible interactions between phages and immune cells and avoid any phage side effects on them. Recent progress in knowledge concerning the influence of phages on phagocytes is also important as such interactions may shape the immune response. In this review we have summarized the current knowledge on phage interactions with phagocytes described so far and their potential implications for phage therapy . The data suggesting that phage do not downregulate important phagocyte functions are especially relevant for the concept of phage therapy.

Orthopaedic service lines-revisited.

PubMed

Patterson, Cheryl

2008-01-01

This article revisits the application of orthopaedic service lines from early introduction and growth of this organizational approach in the 1980s, through the 1990s, and into the current decade. The author has experienced and worked in various service-line structures through these three decades, as well as the preservice-line era of 1970s orthopaedics. Past lessons learned during earlier phases and then current trends and analysis by industry experts are summarized briefly, with indication given of the future for service lines. Variation versus consistency of certain elements in service-line definitions and in operational models is discussed. Main components of service-line structures and typical processes are described briefly, along with a more detailed section on the service-line director/manager role. Current knowledge contained here will help guide the reader to more "out-of-the-box" thinking toward comprehensive orthopaedic centers of excellence.

Information technology as a tool to improve the quality of American Indian health care.

PubMed

Sequist, Thomas D; Cullen, Theresa; Ayanian, John Z

2005-12-01

The American Indian/Alaska Native population experiences a disproportionate burden of disease across a spectrum of conditions. While the recent National Healthcare Disparities Report highlighted differences in quality of care among racial and ethnic groups, there was only very limited information available for American Indians. The Indian Health Service (IHS) is currently enhancing its information systems to improve the measurement of health care quality as well as to support quality improvement initiatives. We summarize current knowledge regarding health care quality for American Indians, highlighting the variation in reported measures in the existing literature. We then discuss how the IHS is using information systems to produce standardized performance measures and present future directions for improving American Indian health care quality.

The Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Intraluminal Thrombus: Current Concepts of Development and Treatment

PubMed Central

Piechota-Polanczyk, Aleksandra; Jozkowicz, Alicja; Nowak, Witold; Eilenberg, Wolf; Neumayer, Christoph; Malinski, Tadeusz; Huk, Ihor; Brostjan, Christine

2015-01-01

The pathogenesis of the abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) shows several hallmarks of atherosclerotic and atherothrombotic disease, but comprises an additional, predominant feature of proteolysis resulting in the degradation and destabilization of the aortic wall. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge on AAA development, involving the accumulation of neutrophils in the intraluminal thrombus and their central role in creating an oxidative and proteolytic environment. Particular focus is placed on the controversial role of heme oxygenase 1/carbon monoxide and nitric oxide synthase/peroxynitrite, which may exert both protective and damaging effects in the development of the aneurysm. Treatment indications as well as surgical and pharmacological options for AAA therapy are discussed in light of recent reports. PMID:26664891

Retinitis pigmentosa and allied conditions today: a paradigm of translational research

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Monogenic human retinal dystrophies are a group of disorders characterized by progressive loss of photoreceptor cells leading to visual handicap. Retinitis pigmentosa is a type of retinal dystrophy where degeneration of rod photoreceptors occurs at the early stages. At present, there are no available effective therapies to maintain or improve vision in patients affected with retinitis pigmentosa, but post-genomic studies are allowing the development of potential therapeutic approaches. This review summarizes current knowledge on genes that have been identified to be responsible for retinitis pigmentosa, the involvement of these genes in the different forms of the disorder, the role of the proteins encoded by these genes in retinal function, the utility of genotyping, and current efforts to develop novel therapies. PMID:20519033

Surgical fellowship training in Canada: What is its current status and is improvement required?

PubMed Central

Nousiainen, Markku T.; Latter, David A.; Backstein, David; Webster, Fiona; Harris, Kenneth A.

2012-01-01

This paper examines current issues concerning surgical fellowship training in Canada. Other than information from a few studies of fellowship training in North America, there are scant data on this subject in the literature. Little is known about the demographic characteristics of those who pursue fellowship training in Canada, what the experiences and expectations are of fellows and their supervisors with respect to the strengths and weaknesses of this level of training, or how this level of education fits in with Canadian undergraduate and postgraduate medical training. We summarize current knowledge about fellowship training in Canada as it pertains to demographic characteristics, finances, work hours, residency training, preparation for clinical and research work and satisfaction with training. Most information on surgical fellowship training comes from the United States. As such, we used information from American studies to supplement the Canadian data. Because a surgical fellowship experience in Canada may be different from that in the United States, we propose that Canadian surgical fellows and their supervisors should be surveyed to gain an understanding of such information. This knowledge could be used to improve surgical fellowship training in Canada. PMID:22269304

Survival in extreme environments - on the current knowledge of adaptations in tardigrades.

PubMed

Møbjerg, N; Halberg, K A; Jørgensen, A; Persson, D; Bjørn, M; Ramløv, H; Kristensen, R M

2011-07-01

Tardigrades are microscopic animals found worldwide in aquatic as well as terrestrial ecosystems. They belong to the invertebrate superclade Ecdysozoa, as do the two major invertebrate model organisms: Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. We present a brief description of the tardigrades and highlight species that are currently used as models for physiological and molecular investigations. Tardigrades are uniquely adapted to a range of environmental extremes. Cryptobiosis, currently referred to as a reversible ametabolic state induced by e.g. desiccation, is common especially among limno-terrestrial species. It has been shown that the entry and exit of cryptobiosis may involve synthesis of bioprotectants in the form of selective carbohydrates and proteins as well as high levels of antioxidant enzymes and other free radical scavengers. However, at present a general scheme of mechanisms explaining this phenomenon is lacking. Importantly, recent research has shown that tardigrades even in their active states may be extremely tolerant to environmental stress, handling extreme levels of ionizing radiation, large fluctuation in external salinity and avoiding freezing by supercooling to below -20 °C, presumably relying on efficient DNA repair mechanisms and osmoregulation. This review summarizes the current knowledge on adaptations found among tardigrades, and presents new data on tardigrade cell numbers and osmoregulation. © 2011 The Authors. Acta Physiologica © 2011 Scandinavian Physiological Society.

Origin and concept of medicine food homology and its application in modern functional foods.

PubMed

Hou, Yan; Jiang, Jian-Guo

2013-12-01

The viewpoints of "medicine food homology" (MFH) conform to today's food requirements of returning to a natural and green healthy life. This paper aims to introduce the concept of MFH and its origin and evolution, and analyze the relationship between food and Chinese medicine. In this review, more than 80 MFH materials approved by China's Ministry of Health are listed and their effective ingredients are summarized in detail. Their treatment mechanism in TCM and western medicine are summarized too. Moreover, some new MFH resources that have been gradually developed are also introduced. MFH materials are a treasure house of functional factors for current functional foods. Innovative ideas for the development of MFH resources in current functional foods are prospected and discussed, such as taking advantage of Chinese diet theory, building a database for MFH varieties and developing new methods and technologies. At present, modern research for the development of MFH functional foods is still in its primary stage, there is still much work required in the popularization of the MFH concept and the development of new products. Knowledge and technological innovations in this area should be accelerated in the future to promote the modernization of MFH.

Synopsis of Guidelines for the Clinical Management of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations: Consensus Recommendations Based on Systematic Literature Review by the Angioma Alliance Scientific Advisory Board Clinical Experts Panel

PubMed Central

Al-Shahi Salman, Rustam; A. Awad, Issam; Dahlem, Kristen; Flemming, Kelly; Hart, Blaine; Kim, Helen; Jusue-Torres, Ignacio; Kondziolka, Douglas; Lee, Cornelia; Morrison, Leslie; Rigamonti, Daniele; Rebeiz, Tania; Tournier-Lasserve, Elisabeth; Waggoner, Darrel; Whitehead, Kevin

2017-01-01

Abstract BACKGROUND: Despite many publications about cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), controversy remains regarding diagnostic and management strategies. OBJECTIVE: To develop guidelines for CCM management. METHODS: The Angioma Alliance (www.angioma.org), the patient support group in the United States advocating on behalf of patients and research in CCM, convened a multidisciplinary writing group comprising expert CCM clinicians to help summarize the existing literature related to the clinical care of CCM, focusing on 5 topics: (1) epidemiology and natural history, (2) genetic testing and counseling, (3) diagnostic criteria and radiology standards, (4) neurosurgical considerations, and (5) neurological considerations. The group reviewed literature, rated evidence, developed recommendations, and established consensus, controversies, and knowledge gaps according to a prespecified protocol. RESULTS: Of 1270 publications published between January 1, 1983 and September 31, 2014, we selected 98 based on methodological criteria, and identified 38 additional recent or relevant publications. Topic authors used these publications to summarize current knowledge and arrive at 23 consensus management recommendations, which we rated by class (size of effect) and level (estimate of certainty) according to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association criteria. No recommendation was level A (because of the absence of randomized controlled trials), 11 (48%) were level B, and 12 (52%) were level C. Recommendations were class I in 8 (35%), class II in 10 (43%), and class III in 5 (22%). CONCLUSION: Current evidence supports recommendations for the management of CCM, but their generally low levels and classes mandate further research to better inform clinical practice and update these recommendations. The complete recommendations document, including the criteria for selecting reference citations, a more detailed justification of the respective recommendations, and a summary of controversies and knowledge gaps, was similarly peer reviewed and is available on line www.angioma.org/CCMGuidelines. PMID:28387823

An automated knowledge-based textual summarization system for longitudinal, multivariate clinical data.

PubMed

Goldstein, Ayelet; Shahar, Yuval

2016-06-01

Design and implement an intelligent free-text summarization system: The system's input includes large numbers of longitudinal, multivariate, numeric and symbolic clinical raw data, collected over varying periods of time, and in different complex contexts, and a suitable medical knowledge base. The system then automatically generates a textual summary of the data. We aim to prove the feasibility of implementing such a system, and to demonstrate its potential benefits for clinicians and for enhancement of quality of care. We have designed a new, domain-independent, knowledge-based system, the CliniText system, for automated summarization in free text of longitudinal medical records of any duration, in any context. The system is composed of six components: (1) A temporal abstraction module generates all possible abstractions from the patient's raw data using a temporal-abstraction knowledge base; (2) The abductive reasoning module infers abstractions or events from the data, which were not explicitly included in the database; (3) The pruning module filters out raw or abstract data based on predefined heuristics; (4) The document structuring module organizes the remaining raw or abstract data, according to the desired format; (5) The microplanning module, groups the raw or abstract data and creates referring expressions; (6) The surface realization module, generates the text, and applies the grammar rules of the chosen language. We have performed an initial technical evaluation of the system in the cardiac intensive-care and diabetes domains. We also summarize the results of a more detailed evaluation study that we have performed in the intensive-care domain that assessed the completeness, correctness, and overall quality of the system's generated text, and its potential benefits to clinical decision making. We assessed these measures for 31 letters originally composed by clinicians, and for the same letters when generated by the CliniText system. We have successfully implemented all of the components of the CliniText system in software. We have also been able to create a comprehensive temporal-abstraction knowledge base to support its functionality, mostly in the intensive-care domain. The initial technical evaluation of the system in the cardiac intensive-care and diabetes domains has shown great promise, proving the feasibility of constructing and operating such systems. The detailed results of the evaluation in the intensive-care domain are out of scope of the current paper, and we refer the reader to a more detailed source. In all of the letters composed by clinicians, there were at least two important items per letter missed that were included by the CliniText system. The clinicians' letters got a significantly better grade in three out of four measured quality parameters, as judged by an expert; however, the variance in the quality was much higher in the clinicians' letters. In addition, three clinicians answered questions based on the discharge letter 40% faster, and answered four out of the five questions equally well or significantly better, when using the CliniText-generated letters, than when using the clinician-composed letters. Constructing a working system for automated summarization in free text of large numbers of varying periods of multivariate longitudinal clinical data is feasible. So is the construction of a large knowledge base, designed to support such a system, in a complex clinical domain, such as the intensive-care domain. The integration of the quality and functionality results suggests that the optimal discharge letter should exploit both human and machine, possibly by creating a machine-generated draft that will be polished by a human clinician. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Books and Hypermedia for Knowledge-based Sports Coaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vickers, Joan N.; Gaines, Brian R.

1988-01-01

Summarizes and illustrates the knowledge-based approach to instructional material design. A series of sports coaching handbooks and hypermedia presentations of the same material are described and the different instantiations of the knowledge and training structures are compared. Figures show knowledge structures for badminton and the architecture…

Overview of Taiwan's indigenous ethnopharmacology in the perspective of traditional knowledge protection.

PubMed

Guo, Jing-jing; Pan, Wei; Chen, Mei-wan; Wang, Chun-ming; Wang, Yi-tao

2015-12-01

Ethnopharmacology, the study of ethnic use of drugs, opens up the crucial gateway to understanding and promoting traditional medicine in the new age. Taiwan is a unique region where traditional medicine and herbal therapeutics have been benefiting its people of multiple races for centuries. This article overviews Taiwan's indigenous traditional medicine and the emerging status of ethnopharmacology study, and outlines the global scenario of the inheritance and development of traditional medicine. In such a scope of knowledge protection, this article particularly highlights the challenges with bioprospecting and biopiracy, and summarizes the current measures for protection of traditional knowledge in Taiwan. Finally, based upon these analyses, we propose rational strategies for promoting Taiwan's ethnopharmacology, from multiple angles of resource, economy, policy and law. We conclude that four measures, namely (1) protecting the natural environment of biodiversity, (2) avoiding unnecessary conflicts caused by bioprospecting and biopiracy, (3) strengthening the international collaboration, and (4) upgrading the legal system of traditional intelligence, would be the right paths for Taiwan to protect its invaluable heritage of traditional medicine and the knowledge of ethnopharmacology therein.

Enhancing biomedical text summarization using semantic relation extraction.

PubMed

Shang, Yue; Li, Yanpeng; Lin, Hongfei; Yang, Zhihao

2011-01-01

Automatic text summarization for a biomedical concept can help researchers to get the key points of a certain topic from large amount of biomedical literature efficiently. In this paper, we present a method for generating text summary for a given biomedical concept, e.g., H1N1 disease, from multiple documents based on semantic relation extraction. Our approach includes three stages: 1) We extract semantic relations in each sentence using the semantic knowledge representation tool SemRep. 2) We develop a relation-level retrieval method to select the relations most relevant to each query concept and visualize them in a graphic representation. 3) For relations in the relevant set, we extract informative sentences that can interpret them from the document collection to generate text summary using an information retrieval based method. Our major focus in this work is to investigate the contribution of semantic relation extraction to the task of biomedical text summarization. The experimental results on summarization for a set of diseases show that the introduction of semantic knowledge improves the performance and our results are better than the MEAD system, a well-known tool for text summarization.

Volunteering in later life: research frontiers.

PubMed

Morrow-Howell, Nancy

2010-07-01

This review summarizes the current knowledge about volunteering in later life and suggests 5 research questions at the forefront of knowledge development. Rates of volunteering do not decline significantly until the middle of the 7th decade, and older volunteers commit more hours than younger volunteers. Older adults with more human and social capital tend to volunteer, and there is good evidence of a reciprocal relationship between volunteering and well-being. Program and policy developments in the field are outstripping production of knowledge to support evidence-based practices. Research on the dynamics of volunteering over the life course as well as the patterns of activities that co-occur with volunteering is needed to guide program development. Research methods and findings from transdisciplinary work on the mechanisms through which psychosocial conditions affect health must be extended to the study of the effects of volunteering on older adults. Finally, we need to engage in more applied social science aimed at improving volunteer management, especially recruitment and retention of older volunteers.

Spread of Cryptococcus gattii into Pacific Northwest Region of the United States

PubMed Central

Datta, Kausik; Bartlett, Karen H.; Baer, Rebecca; Byrnes, Edmond; Galanis, Eleni; Heitman, Joseph; Hoang, Linda; Leslie, Mira J.; MacDougall, Laura; Magill, Shelley S.; Morshed, Muhammad G.

2009-01-01

Cryptococcus gattii has emerged as a human and animal pathogen in the Pacific Northwest. First recognized on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, it now involves mainland British Columbia, and Washington and Oregon in the United States. In Canada, the incidence of disease has been one of the highest worldwide. In the United States, lack of cryptococcal species identification and case surveillance limit our knowledge of C. gattii epidemiology. Infections in the Pacific Northwest are caused by multiple genotypes, but the major strain is genetically novel and may have emerged recently in association with unique mating or environmental changes. C. gattii disease affects immunocompromised and immunocompetent persons, causing substantial illness and death. Successful management requires an aggressive medical and surgical approach and consideration of potentially variable antifungal drug susceptibilities. We summarize the study results of a group of investigators and review current knowledge with the goal of increasing awareness and highlighting areas where further knowledge is required. PMID:19757550

Reference sequence (RefSeq) database at NCBI: current status, taxonomic expansion, and functional annotation.

PubMed

O'Leary, Nuala A; Wright, Mathew W; Brister, J Rodney; Ciufo, Stacy; Haddad, Diana; McVeigh, Rich; Rajput, Bhanu; Robbertse, Barbara; Smith-White, Brian; Ako-Adjei, Danso; Astashyn, Alexander; Badretdin, Azat; Bao, Yiming; Blinkova, Olga; Brover, Vyacheslav; Chetvernin, Vyacheslav; Choi, Jinna; Cox, Eric; Ermolaeva, Olga; Farrell, Catherine M; Goldfarb, Tamara; Gupta, Tripti; Haft, Daniel; Hatcher, Eneida; Hlavina, Wratko; Joardar, Vinita S; Kodali, Vamsi K; Li, Wenjun; Maglott, Donna; Masterson, Patrick; McGarvey, Kelly M; Murphy, Michael R; O'Neill, Kathleen; Pujar, Shashikant; Rangwala, Sanjida H; Rausch, Daniel; Riddick, Lillian D; Schoch, Conrad; Shkeda, Andrei; Storz, Susan S; Sun, Hanzhen; Thibaud-Nissen, Francoise; Tolstoy, Igor; Tully, Raymond E; Vatsan, Anjana R; Wallin, Craig; Webb, David; Wu, Wendy; Landrum, Melissa J; Kimchi, Avi; Tatusova, Tatiana; DiCuccio, Michael; Kitts, Paul; Murphy, Terence D; Pruitt, Kim D

2016-01-04

The RefSeq project at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) maintains and curates a publicly available database of annotated genomic, transcript, and protein sequence records (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/refseq/). The RefSeq project leverages the data submitted to the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration (INSDC) against a combination of computation, manual curation, and collaboration to produce a standard set of stable, non-redundant reference sequences. The RefSeq project augments these reference sequences with current knowledge including publications, functional features and informative nomenclature. The database currently represents sequences from more than 55,000 organisms (>4800 viruses, >40,000 prokaryotes and >10,000 eukaryotes; RefSeq release 71), ranging from a single record to complete genomes. This paper summarizes the current status of the viral, prokaryotic, and eukaryotic branches of the RefSeq project, reports on improvements to data access and details efforts to further expand the taxonomic representation of the collection. We also highlight diverse functional curation initiatives that support multiple uses of RefSeq data including taxonomic validation, genome annotation, comparative genomics, and clinical testing. We summarize our approach to utilizing available RNA-Seq and other data types in our manual curation process for vertebrate, plant, and other species, and describe a new direction for prokaryotic genomes and protein name management. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

Therapeutic Approaches in the Stimulation of the Coronary Collateral Circulation

PubMed Central

Degen, Achim; Millenaar, Dominic; Schirmer, Stephan H.

2014-01-01

Arteriogenesis as a way to restore blood flow after arterial occlusion has been under investigation for the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) for decades. Therapeutic approaches so far have included delivery of cytokines and growth factors as well as mechanical stimulation such as external counterpulsation. As knowledge on the mechanisms of arteriogenesis expanded, new therapeutic approaches have emerged. This review summarizes recent attempts to stimulate the growth of the coronary vasculature and discusses their potential in clinical application. This article also delivers an overview of current studies and trials on coronary arteriogenesis. PMID:23721076

Use of artificial intelligence in supervisory control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Aaron; Erickson, Jon D.

1989-01-01

Viewgraphs describing the design and testing of an intelligent decision support system called OFMspert are presented. In this expert system, knowledge about the human operator is represented through an operator/system model referred to as the OFM (Operator Function Model). OFMspert uses the blackboard model of problem solving to maintain a dynamic representation of operator goals, plans, tasks, and actions given previous operator actions and current system state. Results of an experiment to assess OFMspert's intent inferencing capability are outlined. Finally, the overall design philosophy for an intelligent tutoring system (OFMTutor) for operators of complex dynamic systems is summarized.

Protein biosynthesis in mitochondria.

PubMed

Kuzmenko, A V; Levitskii, S A; Vinogradova, E N; Atkinson, G C; Hauryliuk, V; Zenkin, N; Kamenski, P A

2013-08-01

Translation, that is biosynthesis of polypeptides in accordance with information encoded in the genome, is one of the most important processes in the living cell, and it has been in the spotlight of international research for many years. The mechanisms of protein biosynthesis in bacteria and in the eukaryotic cytoplasm are now understood in great detail. However, significantly less is known about translation in eukaryotic mitochondria, which is characterized by a number of unusual features. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about mitochondrial translation in different organisms while paying special attention to the aspects of this process that differ from cytoplasmic protein biosynthesis.

Seborrheic dermatitis: an update.

PubMed

Bukvić Mokos, Zrinka; Kralj, Martina; Basta-Juzbašić, Aleksandra; Lakoš Jukić, Ines

2012-01-01

Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory skin disorder clinically characterized by scaling and poorly defined erythematous patches. The prevalence of adult seborrheic dermatitis is estimated at 5%. Although the exact cause of seborrheic dermatitis has yet to be understood, Malassezia yeasts, hormones (androgens), sebum levels and immune response are known to play important roles in its development. Additional factors including drugs, winter temperatures and stress may exacerbate seborrheic dermatitis. A variety of treatment modalities are available, including antifungal agents, topical low-potency steroids and calcineurin inhibitors (immunomodulators). This review summarizes current knowledge on the etiopathogenesis and therapy of adult seborrheic dermatitis.

A molecular view of onychophoran segmentation.

PubMed

Janssen, Ralf

2017-05-01

This paper summarizes our current knowledge on the expression and assumed function of Drosophila and (other) arthropod segmentation gene orthologs in Onychophora, a closely related outgroup to Arthropoda. This includes orthologs of the so-called Drosophila segmentation gene cascade including the Hox genes, as well as other genetic factors and pathways involved in non-drosophilid arthropods. Open questions about and around the topic are addressed, such as the definition of segments in onychophorans, the unclear regulation of conserved expression patterns downstream of non-conserved factors, and the potential role of mesodermal patterning in onychophoran segmentation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanisms and consequences of injury and repair in older organ transplants1

PubMed Central

Slegtenhorst, Bendix R; Dor, Frank JMF; Elkhal, Abdala; Rodriguez, Hector; Yang, Xiaoyong; Edtinger, Karoline; Quante, Markus; Chong, Anita S; Tullius, Stefan G

2014-01-01

Donor organ scarcity remains a significant clinical challenge in transplantation. Older organs, increasingly utilized to meet the growing demand for donor organs, have been linked to inferior transplant outcomes. Susceptibility to organ injury, reduced repair capacity, and increased immunogenicity are interrelated and impacted by physiological and pathological aging processes. Insights into the underlying mechanisms are needed to develop age-specific interventional strategies with regards to organ preservation, immunosuppression, and allocation. In this overview, we summarize current knowledge of injury and repair mechanisms and the effects of aging relevant to transplantation. PMID:24646769

Research in Space Physics at the University of Iowa. [spaceborne experiments and instruments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanallen, J. A.

1981-01-01

Currently active projects conducted to extend knowledge of the energetic particles and the electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields associated with Earth, other celestial bodies, and the interplanetary medium are summarized. These include investigations and/or instruments for Hawkeye 1; Pioneers 10 and 11; Voyagers 1 and 2; ISEE; IMP 8; Dynamics Explorer; Galileo; Spacelab and Orbital flight test missions; VLBI; and the International Solar Polar mission. Experiments and instruments proposed for the future international comet mission, the origin of plasmas in the Earth's environment mission, and the NASA active magnetospheric particle tracer experiment are mentioned.

[G protein-coupled receptors in the spot light].

PubMed

Benleulmi-Chaachoua, Abla; Wojciech, Stefanie; Jockers, Ralf

2013-01-01

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), also known as seven transmembrane domain-spanning proteins (7TM), play an important role in tissue homeostasis and cellular and hormonal communication. GPCRs are targeted by a large panel of natural ligands such as photons, ions, metabolites, lipids and proteins but also by numerous drugs. Research efforts in the GPCR field have been rewarded in 2012 by the Nobel Price in Chemistry. The present article briefly summarizes our current knowledge on GPCRs and discusses future challenges in terms of fundamental aspects and therapeutic applications. © Société de Biologie, 2013.

The Case for the Use of PPARγ Agonists as an Adjunctive Therapy for Cerebral Malaria

PubMed Central

Serghides, Lena

2012-01-01

Cerebral malaria is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection associated with high mortality even when highly effective antiparasitic therapy is used. Adjunctive therapies that modify the pathophysiological processes caused by malaria are a possible way to improve outcome. This review focuses on the utility of PPARγ agonists as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of cerebral malaria. The current knowledge of PPARγ agonist use in malaria is summarized. Findings from experimental CNS injury and disease models that demonstrate the potential for PPARγ agonists as an adjunctive therapy for cerebral malaria are also discussed. PMID:21772838

Sticking together: building a biofilm the Bacillus subtilis way

PubMed Central

Vlamakis, Hera; Chai, Yunrong; Beauregard, Pascale; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2014-01-01

Preface Biofilms are ubiquitous communities of tightly associated bacteria encased in an extracellular matrix. Bacillus subtilis has long-served as a robust model organism to examine the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and a number of studies have revealed that this process is subject to a number of integrated regulatory pathways. In this Review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms controlling biofilm assembly and briefly summarize the current state of knowledge regarding their disassembly. We also discuss recent progress that has expanded our understanding of biofilm formation on plant roots, which are a natural habitat for this soil bacterium. PMID:23353768

Towards standardized testing methodologies for optical properties of components in concentrating solar thermal power plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallaberry, Fabienne; Fernández-García, Aránzazu; Lüpfert, Eckhard; Morales, Angel; Vicente, Gema San; Sutter, Florian

2017-06-01

Precise knowledge of the optical properties of the components used in the solar field of concentrating solar thermal power plants is primordial to ensure their optimum power production. Those properties are measured and evaluated by different techniques and equipment, in laboratory conditions and/or in the field. Standards for such measurements and international consensus for the appropriate techniques are in preparation. The reference materials used as a standard for the calibration of the equipment are under discussion. This paper summarizes current testing methodologies and guidelines for the characterization of optical properties of solar mirrors and absorbers.

Comparative primate genomics: emerging patterns of genome content and dynamics

PubMed Central

Rogers, Jeffrey; Gibbs, Richard A.

2014-01-01

Preface Advances in genome sequencing technologies have created new opportunities for comparative primate genomics. Genome assemblies have been published for several primates, with analyses of several others underway. Whole genome assemblies for the great apes provide remarkable new information about the evolutionary origins of the human genome and the processes involved. Genomic data for macaques and other nonhuman primates provide valuable insight into genetic similarities and differences among species used as models for disease-related research. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding primate genome content and dynamics and offers a series of goals for the near future. PMID:24709753

Molecular action of sulphonylureas on KATP channels: a real partnership between drugs and nucleotides.

PubMed

de Wet, Heidi; Proks, Peter

2015-10-01

Sulphonylureas stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells primarily by closing ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in the β-cell plasma membrane. The mechanism of channel inhibition by these drugs is unusually complex. As direct inhibitors of channel activity, sulphonylureas act only as partial antagonists at therapeutic concentrations. However, they also exert an additional indirect inhibitory effect via modulation of nucleotide-dependent channel gating. In this review, we summarize current knowledge and recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanism of action of these drugs. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

New particle formation in China: Current knowledge and further directions.

PubMed

Wang, Zhibin; Wu, Zhijun; Yue, Dingli; Shang, Dongjie; Guo, Song; Sun, Junying; Ding, Aijun; Wang, Lin; Jiang, Jingkun; Guo, Hai; Gao, Jian; Cheung, Hing Cho; Morawska, Lidia; Keywood, Melita; Hu, Min

2017-01-15

New particle formation (NPF) studies have been conducted in China since 2004. Formation of new atmospheric aerosol particles has been observed to take place in diverse environments, even under the circumstances of high pre-existing particle loading, challenging the traditional and present understanding of the physicochemical nucleation mechanisms, which have been proposed based on the investigations in clean environments and under laboratory experimental conditions. This paper summarizes the present status and gaps in understanding NPF in China and discusses the main directions opening for future research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tailoring Medulloblastoma Treatment Through Genomics: Making a Change, One Subgroup at a Time.

PubMed

Holgado, Borja L; Guerreiro Stucklin, Ana; Garzia, Livia; Daniels, Craig; Taylor, Michael D

2017-08-31

After more than a decade of genomic studies in medulloblastoma, the time has come to capitalize on the knowledge gained and use it to directly improve patient care. Although metastatic and relapsed disease remain poorly understood, much has changed in how we define medulloblastoma, and it has become evident that with conventional therapies, specific groups of patients are currently under- or overtreated. In this review, we summarize the latest insights into medulloblastoma biology, focusing on how genomics is affecting patient stratification, informing preclinical studies of targeted therapies, and shaping the new generation of clinical trials.

Fat-soluble vitamins in advanced CKD/ESKD: a review.

PubMed

Holden, Rachel M; Ki, Vincent; Morton, Alexander Ross; Clase, Catherine

2012-05-01

Patients requiring dialysis often experience a significant decline in their nutritional status through a combination of chronic disease, reduced appetite, and dietary restrictions, which places them at risk for vitamin deficiencies. The concept of vitamin deficiency has evolved from obvious deficiency states to the subtle effects that suboptimal intake may have on chronic disease prevalence or progression. The purpose of this study was to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding the status of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving hemodialysis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The U.S. government technical report and the transfer of federally funded aerospace R & D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

This article discusses the U.S. government technical report and the transfer of federally funded aerospace research and development in a conceptual framework of the federal government as a producer of scientific and technical information. The article summarizes current literature and research and discusses U.S. government technical report use and the importance of using data obtained from the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. The authors make a case for changing existing U.S. technology policy and present a research agenda for the U.S. government technical report.

DNA Damage Signalling and Repair Inhibitors: The Long-Sought-After Achilles’ Heel of Cancer

PubMed Central

Velic, Denis; Couturier, Anthony M.; Ferreira, Maria Tedim; Rodrigue, Amélie; Poirier, Guy G.; Fleury, Fabrice; Masson, Jean-Yves

2015-01-01

For decades, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were the two only approaches exploiting DNA repair processes to fight against cancer. Nowadays, cancer therapeutics can be a major challenge when it comes to seeking personalized targeted medicine that is both effective and selective to the malignancy. Over the last decade, the discovery of new targeted therapies against DNA damage signalling and repair has offered the possibility of therapeutic improvements in oncology. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of DNA damage signalling and repair inhibitors, their molecular and cellular effects, and future therapeutic use. PMID:26610585

Biological Activities of Polyphenols from Grapes

PubMed Central

Xia, En-Qin; Deng, Gui-Fang; Guo, Ya-Jun; Li, Hua-Bin

2010-01-01

The dietary consumption of grape and its products is associated with a lower incidence of degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers. Most recent interest has focused on the bioactive phenolic compounds in grape. Anthocyanins, flavanols, flavonols and resveratrol are the most important grape polyphenols because they possess many biological activities, such as antioxidant, cardioprotective, anticancer, anti-inflammation, antiaging and antimicrobial properties. This review summarizes current knowledge on the bioactivities of grape phenolics. The extraction, isolation and identification methods of polyphenols from grape as well as their bioavailability and potential toxicity also are included. PMID:20386657

Child disaster mental health interventions, part II

PubMed Central

Pfefferbaum, Betty; Sweeton, Jennifer L.; Newman, Elana; Varma, Vandana; Noffsinger, Mary A.; Shaw, Jon A.; Chrisman, Allan K.; Nitiéma, Pascal

2014-01-01

This review summarizes current knowledge on the timing of child disaster mental health intervention delivery, the settings for intervention delivery, the expertise of providers, and therapeutic approaches. Studies have been conducted on interventions delivered during all phases of disaster management from pre event through many months post event. Many interventions were administered in schools which offer access to large numbers of children. Providers included mental health professionals and school personnel. Studies described individual and group interventions, some with parent involvement. The next generation of interventions and studies should be based on an empirical analysis of a number of key areas. PMID:26295009

Impact of HPV in Oropharyngeal Cancer

PubMed Central

Marklund, Linda; Hammarstedt, Lalle

2011-01-01

The incidence of oropharyngeal cancers has increased in the western world and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) has been recognised as a risk factor in the last decades. During the same period the prevalence of HPV in oropharyngeal tumours has increased and HPV has been suggested responsible for the increase. The HPV-positive tumours are today recognized as a distinct subset of head and neck cancers with its own clinopathological and risk profile and have a significantly improved prognosis regardless of treatment strategy. This review summarizes current knowledge regarding human papillomavirus biology, oncogenic mechanisms, risk factors, and impact of treatment. PMID:21234307

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA)-a conserved glycolytic enzyme with virulence functions in bacteria: 'ill met by moonlight'.

PubMed

Shams, Fariza; Oldfield, Neil J; Wooldridge, Karl G; Turner, David P J

2014-12-01

Moonlighting proteins constitute an intriguing class of multifunctional proteins. Metabolic enzymes and chaperones, which are often highly conserved proteins in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotic organisms, are among the most commonly recognized examples of moonlighting proteins. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) is an enzyme involved in the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) glycolytic pathway and in gluconeogenesis. Increasingly, it is also recognized that FBA has additional functions beyond its housekeeping role in central metabolism. In the present review, we summarize the current knowledge of the moonlighting functions of FBA in bacteria.

Comparative primate genomics: emerging patterns of genome content and dynamics.

PubMed

Rogers, Jeffrey; Gibbs, Richard A

2014-05-01

Advances in genome sequencing technologies have created new opportunities for comparative primate genomics. Genome assemblies have been published for various primate species, and analyses of several others are underway. Whole-genome assemblies for the great apes provide remarkable new information about the evolutionary origins of the human genome and the processes involved. Genomic data for macaques and other non-human primates offer valuable insights into genetic similarities and differences among species that are used as models for disease-related research. This Review summarizes current knowledge regarding primate genome content and dynamics, and proposes a series of goals for the near future.

Sticking together: building a biofilm the Bacillus subtilis way.

PubMed

Vlamakis, Hera; Chai, Yunrong; Beauregard, Pascale; Losick, Richard; Kolter, Roberto

2013-03-01

Biofilms are ubiquitous communities of tightly associated bacteria encased in an extracellular matrix. Bacillus subtilis has long served as a robust model organism to examine the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation, and a number of studies have revealed that this process is regulated by several integrated pathways. In this Review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms that control B. subtilis biofilm assembly, and then briefly summarize the current state of knowledge regarding biofilm disassembly. We also discuss recent progress that has expanded our understanding of B. subtilis biofilm formation on plant roots, which are a natural habitat for this soil bacterium.

Cell apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis in osteosarcoma treatment

PubMed Central

Li, Dongqi; Li, Huiling; Ren, Mingyan; Liao, Yedan; Yu, Shunling; Chen, Yanjin; Yang, Yihao; Zhang, Ya

2016-01-01

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone tumor in children and adolescents. Although combined therapy including surgery and multi-agent chemotherapy have resulted in great improvements in the overall survival of patients, chemoresistance remains an obstacle for the treatment of osteosarcoma. Molecular targets or effective agents that are actively involved in cell death including apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis have been studied. We summarized how these agents (novel compounds, miRNAs, or proteins) regulate apoptotic, autophagic and necroptotic pathways; and discussed the current knowledge on the role of these new agents in chemotherapy resistance in osteosarcoma. PMID:27007056

Health research involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their communities

PubMed Central

Starkes, Jill M; Baydala, Lola T

2014-01-01

Canadian and international guidelines address the ethical conduct of health research in general and the issues affecting Indigenous populations in particular. This statement summarizes, for clinicians and researchers, relevant ethical and practical considerations for health research involving Aboriginal children and youth. While not intended to duplicate findings arising from lengthy collaborative processes, it does highlight ‘wise practices’ that have successfully generated knowledge relevant to, respectful of and useful for Aboriginal children, youth and their communities. Further research on current health issues and inequities should lead to practical, effective and culturally relevant applications. Expanding our knowledge of ways to address the health disparities facing Canada’s Aboriginal children and youth can inform health policy and the provision of services. Community-based participatory research is proposed as a means to achieve this goal. PMID:24596485

Small vessels, dementia and chronic diseases - molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology.

PubMed

Horsburgh, Karen; Wardlaw, Joanna M; van Agtmael, Tom; Allan, Stuart M; Ashford, Mike L J; Bath, Philip M; Brown, Rosalind; Berwick, Jason; Cader, M Zameel; Carare, Roxana O; Davis, John B; Duncombe, Jessica; Farr, Tracy D; Fowler, Jill H; Goense, Jozien; Granata, Alessandra; Hall, Catherine N; Hainsworth, Atticus H; Harvey, Adam; Hawkes, Cheryl A; Joutel, Anne; Kalaria, Rajesh N; Kehoe, Patrick G; Lawrence, Catherine B; Lockhart, Andy; Love, Seth; Macleod, Malcolm R; Macrae, I Mhairi; Markus, Hugh S; McCabe, Chris; McColl, Barry W; Meakin, Paul J; Miller, Alyson; Nedergaard, Maiken; O'Sullivan, Michael; Quinn, Terry J; Rajani, Rikesh; Saksida, Lisa M; Smith, Colin; Smith, Kenneth J; Touyz, Rhian M; Trueman, Rebecca C; Wang, Tao; Williams, Anna; Williams, Steven C R; Work, Lorraine M

2018-04-30

Cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is a major contributor to stroke, cognitive impairment and dementia with limited therapeutic interventions. There is a critical need to provide mechanistic insight and improve translation between pre-clinical research and the clinic. A 2-day workshop was held which brought together experts from several disciplines in cerebrovascular disease, dementia and cardiovascular biology, to highlight current advances in these fields, explore synergies and scope for development. These proceedings provide a summary of key talks at the workshop with a particular focus on animal models of cerebral vascular disease and dementia, mechanisms and approaches to improve translation. The outcomes of discussion groups on related themes to identify the gaps in knowledge and requirements to advance knowledge are summarized. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Vitamin status and needs for people with stages 3-5 chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Steiber, Alison L; Kopple, Joel D

2011-09-01

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) often experience a decline in their nutrient intake starting at early stages of CKD. This reduction in intake can affect both energy-producing nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, as well as vitamins, minerals, and trace elements. Knowledge of the burden and bioactivity of vitamins and their effect on the health of the patients with CKD is very incomplete. However, without sufficient data, the use of nutritional supplements to prevent inadequate intake may result in either excessive or insufficient intake of micronutrients for people with CKD. The purpose of this article is to briefly summarize the current knowledge regarding vitamin requirements for people with stages 3, 4, or 5 CKD who are not receiving dialysis. Copyright © 2011 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Overview of Conceptual Change Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Özdemir, Gökhan; Clark, Douglas B.

2007-01-01

Conceptual change researchers have made significant progress on two prominent but competing theoretical perspectives regarding knowledge structure coherence. These perspectives can be broadly characterized as (1) knowledge-as-theory perspectives and (2) knowledge-as-elements perspectives. These perspectives can be briefly summarized in terms of…

Photo-oxidative stress in emerging and senescing leaves: a mirror image?

PubMed

Juvany, Marta; Müller, Maren; Munné-Bosch, Sergi

2013-08-01

The life cycle of a leaf can be characterized as consisting of different stages: from primordial leaf initiation in the shoot apical meristem (SAM) to leaf senescence. Leaf development, from early leaf growth to senescence, is tightly controlled by plant development and the environment. Here, we primarily focus on summarizing current evidence indicating that photo-oxidative stress occurs at the two extremes of a leaf's lifespan. Some recent studies clearly indicate that--as happens in senescing leaves--emerging new leaves suffer from photo-oxidative stress, which suggests that oxidative stress plays a key role at both ends of the leaf life cycle. We discuss the causes and consequences of suffering from photo-oxidative stress during leaf development, paying attention to the particularities of this process at the two extremes of leaf development. Of particular importance is the current evidence showing mechanisms that maintain an adequate cellular reactive oxygen species/antioxidant (redox) balance that allows growth and prevents oxidative damage in young emerging leaves, while later on photo-oxidative stress induces cell death in senescing leaves. Also of interest is the fact that reductions in the efficiency of photosystem II photochemistry may not necessarily indicate photo-oxidative stress in emerging leaves. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of photoinhibition, photoprotection, and photo-oxidative stress at the two ends of the leaf life cycle: early leaf growth and leaf senescence.

Graph-based biomedical text summarization: An itemset mining and sentence clustering approach.

PubMed

Nasr Azadani, Mozhgan; Ghadiri, Nasser; Davoodijam, Ensieh

2018-06-12

Automatic text summarization offers an efficient solution to access the ever-growing amounts of both scientific and clinical literature in the biomedical domain by summarizing the source documents while maintaining their most informative contents. In this paper, we propose a novel graph-based summarization method that takes advantage of the domain-specific knowledge and a well-established data mining technique called frequent itemset mining. Our summarizer exploits the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) to construct a concept-based model of the source document and mapping the document to the concepts. Then, it discovers frequent itemsets to take the correlations among multiple concepts into account. The method uses these correlations to propose a similarity function based on which a represented graph is constructed. The summarizer then employs a minimum spanning tree based clustering algorithm to discover various subthemes of the document. Eventually, it generates the final summary by selecting the most informative and relative sentences from all subthemes within the text. We perform an automatic evaluation over a large number of summaries using the Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation (ROUGE) metrics. The results demonstrate that the proposed summarization system outperforms various baselines and benchmark approaches. The carried out research suggests that the incorporation of domain-specific knowledge and frequent itemset mining equips the summarization system in a better way to address the informativeness measurement of the sentences. Moreover, clustering the graph nodes (sentences) can enable the summarizer to target different main subthemes of a source document efficiently. The evaluation results show that the proposed approach can significantly improve the performance of the summarization systems in the biomedical domain. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Perspectives on prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation of low back pain in WORK.

PubMed

Ravenek, Michael J; Bryson-Campbell, Mikelle M; Shaw, Lynn; Hughes, Ian D

2010-01-01

The aim of this review was to describe the low back pain (LBP) knowledge base developed in WORK and to discuss its relevance to current perspectives in the broader literature on LBP and employment. A scoping review of the literature in WORK on LBP and employment was conducted using published articles from 1990-2009. Articles were organized into geographical regions and summarized for contributions to the domains of WORK: prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation. Methodological accordance of the articles was also assessed. Fifty articles were extracted and organized into contributions from authors within North America (n=34) and outside North America (n=16). In total there were 26 prevention, 7 assessment, and 12 rehabilitation articles in this review. Five articles were also classified as 'understanding' articles. More than half of the articles retrieved employed quantitative methodology. WORK has contributed a broad realm of publications to the knowledge base on LBP and employment. Two thirds of the articles were contributed from authors within North America, with a greater emphasis on prevention. This article highlights the similarities and differences in the international knowledge base in the management of LBP in WORK. Future directions for research are elaborated drawing on current perspectives of two experts on the management of LBP.

Cardiomyopathy syndrome in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L.: A review of the current state of knowledge.

PubMed

Garseth, Å H; Fritsvold, C; Svendsen, J C; Bang Jensen, B; Mikalsen, A B

2018-01-01

Cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) is a severe cardiac disease affecting Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. The disease was first recognized in farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway in 1985 and subsequently in farmed salmon in the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Ireland. CMS has also been described in wild Atlantic salmon in Norway. The demonstration of CMS as a transmissible disease in 2009, and the subsequent detection and initial characterization of piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) in 2010 and 2011 were significant discoveries that gave new impetus to the CMS research. In Norway, CMS usually causes mortality in large salmon in ongrowing and broodfish farms, resulting in reduced fish welfare, significant management-related challenges and substantial economic losses. The disease thus has a significant impact on the Atlantic salmon farming industry. There is a need to gain further basic knowledge about the virus, the disease and its epidemiology, but also applied knowledge from the industry to enable the generation and implementation of effective prevention and control measures. This review summarizes the currently available, scientific information on CMS and PMCV with special focus on epidemiology and factors influencing the development of CMS. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Fish Diseases Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowledge representation and management: benefits and challenges of the semantic web for the fields of KRM and NLP.

PubMed

Rassinoux, A-M

2011-01-01

To summarize excellent current research in the field of knowledge representation and management (KRM). A synopsis of the articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2011 is provided and an attempt to highlight the current trends in the field is sketched. This last decade, with the extension of the text-based web towards a semantic-structured web, NLP techniques have experienced a renewed interest in knowledge extraction. This trend is corroborated through the five papers selected for the KRM section of the Yearbook 2011. They all depict outstanding studies that exploit NLP technologies whenever possible in order to accurately extract meaningful information from various biomedical textual sources. Bringing semantic structure to the meaningful content of textual web pages affords the user with cooperative sharing and intelligent finding of electronic data. As exemplified by the best paper selection, more and more advanced biomedical applications aim at exploiting the meaningful richness of free-text documents in order to generate semantic metadata and recently to learn and populate domain ontologies. These later are becoming a key piece as they allow portraying the semantics of the Semantic Web content. Maintaining their consistency with documents and semantic annotations that refer to them is a crucial challenge of the Semantic Web for the coming years.

Microorganisms in Fermented Apple Beverages: Current Knowledge and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Le Guellec, Rozenn; Schlusselhuber, Margot; Laplace, Jean-Marie; Cretenet, Marina

2017-01-01

Production of fermented apple beverages is spread all around the world with specificities in each country. ‘French ciders’ refer to fermented apple juice mainly produced in the northwest of France and often associated with short periods of consumption. Research articles on this kind of product are scarce compared to wine, especially on phenomena associated with microbial activities. The wine fermentation microbiome and its dynamics, organoleptic improvement for healthy and pleasant products and development of starters are now widely studied. Even if both beverages seem close in terms of microbiome and process (with both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations), the inherent properties of the raw materials and different production and environmental parameters make research on the specificities of apple fermentation beverages worthwhile. This review summarizes current knowledge on the cider microbial ecosystem, associated activities and the influence of process parameters. In addition, available data on cider quality and safety is reviewed. Finally, we focus on the future role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in the development of even better or new beverages made from apples. PMID:28757560

Current status of knowledge on public-speaking anxiety.

PubMed

Pull, Charles B

2012-01-01

This review examines the current knowledge on public-speaking anxiety, that is, the fear of speaking in front of others. This article summarizes the findings from previous review articles and describes new research findings on basic science aspects, prevalence rates, classification, and treatment that have been published between August 2008 and August 2011. Recent findings highlight the major aspects of psychological and physiological reactivity to public speaking in individuals who are afraid to speak in front of others, confirm high prevalence rates of the disorder, contribute to identifying the disorder as a possibly distinct subtype of social anxiety disorder (SAD), and give support to the efficacy of treatment programs using virtual reality exposure and Internet-based self-help. Public-speaking anxiety is a highly prevalent disorder, leading to excessive psychological and physiological reactivity. It is present in a majority of individuals with SAD and there is substantial evidence that it may be a distinct subtype of SAD. It is amenable to treatment including, in particular, new technologies such as exposure to virtual environments and the use of cognitive-behavioral self-help programs delivered on the Internet.

Plant-Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes from Basidiomycetes

PubMed Central

Rytioja, Johanna; Hildén, Kristiina; Yuzon, Jennifer; Hatakka, Annele; de Vries, Ronald P.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Basidiomycete fungi subsist on various types of plant material in diverse environments, from living and dead trees and forest litter to crops and grasses and to decaying plant matter in soils. Due to the variation in their natural carbon sources, basidiomycetes have highly varied plant-polysaccharide-degrading capabilities. This topic is not as well studied for basidiomycetes as for ascomycete fungi, which are the main sources of knowledge on fungal plant polysaccharide degradation. Research on plant-biomass-decaying fungi has focused on isolating enzymes for current and future applications, such as for the production of fuels, the food industry, and waste treatment. More recently, genomic studies of basidiomycete fungi have provided a profound view of the plant-biomass-degrading potential of wood-rotting, litter-decomposing, plant-pathogenic, and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) basidiomycetes. This review summarizes the current knowledge on plant polysaccharide depolymerization by basidiomycete species from diverse habitats. In addition, these data are compared to those for the most broadly studied ascomycete genus, Aspergillus, to provide insight into specific features of basidiomycetes with respect to plant polysaccharide degradation. PMID:25428937

Microorganisms in Fermented Apple Beverages: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

PubMed

Cousin, Fabien J; Le Guellec, Rozenn; Schlusselhuber, Margot; Dalmasso, Marion; Laplace, Jean-Marie; Cretenet, Marina

2017-07-25

Production of fermented apple beverages is spread all around the world with specificities in each country. 'French ciders' refer to fermented apple juice mainly produced in the northwest of France and often associated with short periods of consumption. Research articles on this kind of product are scarce compared to wine, especially on phenomena associated with microbial activities. The wine fermentation microbiome and its dynamics, organoleptic improvement for healthy and pleasant products and development of starters are now widely studied. Even if both beverages seem close in terms of microbiome and process (with both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations), the inherent properties of the raw materials and different production and environmental parameters make research on the specificities of apple fermentation beverages worthwhile. This review summarizes current knowledge on the cider microbial ecosystem, associated activities and the influence of process parameters. In addition, available data on cider quality and safety is reviewed. Finally, we focus on the future role of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in the development of even better or new beverages made from apples.

Designing exercise clinical trials for older adults with cancer: Recommendations from 2015 Cancer and Aging Research Group NCI U13 Meeting

PubMed Central

Kilari, Deepak; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Mohile, Supriya Gupta; Alibhai, Shabbir M.H.; Presley, Carolyn J.; Wildes, Tanya M.; Klepin, Heidi D.; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Jatoi, Amina; Harrison, Robert; Won, Elizabeth; Mustian, Karen M.

2016-01-01

Cancer and its treatment can lead to a myriad of adverse events and negatively impact quality of life of older cancer patients and survivors. Unmet physical activity needs vary across the cancer continuum and remain an important yet understudied area of research in this population. Exercise interventions have been shown to be effective in treating both the physical and psychological declines associated with cancer and its treatment, with a potential to improve cancer-related outcomes. Despite the current evidence, exercise is clearly underutilized due to several barriers and knowledge gaps in existing trials that include appropriate population identification, design, and outcome measures selection. The benefits of regular exercise in both the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions are well established in the non-cancer population. In older cancer patients and survivors, further research is needed before exercise gains widespread acceptance. The Cancer and Aging Research Group convened experts in exercise, aging and cancer to evaluate current scientific evidence and knowledge gaps in geriatric exercise oncology. This report summarizes these findings and provides future research directions. PMID:27197916

Stem cell maintenance by manipulating signaling pathways: past, current and future

PubMed Central

Chen, Xi; Ye, Shoudong; Ying, Qi-Long

2015-01-01

Pluripotent stem cells only exist in a narrow window during early embryonic development, whereas multipotent stem cells are abundant throughout embryonic development and are retainedin various adult tissues and organs. While pluripotent stem cell lines have been established from several species, including mouse, rat, and human, it is still challenging to establish stable multipotent stem cell lines from embryonic or adult tissues. Based on current knowledge, we anticipate that by manipulating extrinsic and intrinsic signaling pathways, most if not all types of stem cells can be maintained in a long-term culture. In this article, we summarize current culture conditions established for the long-term maintenance of authentic pluripotent and multipotent stem cells and the signaling pathways involved. We also discuss the general principles of stem cell maintenance and propose several strategies on the establishment of novel stem cell lines through manipulation of signaling pathways. [BMB Reports 2015; 48(12): 668-676] PMID:26497581

Polymyxins: Antibacterial Activity, Susceptibility Testing, and Resistance Mechanisms Encoded by Plasmids or Chromosomes

PubMed Central

Jayol, Aurélie; Nordmann, Patrice

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Polymyxins are well-established antibiotics that have recently regained significant interest as a consequence of the increasing incidence of infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. Colistin and polymyxin B are being seriously reconsidered as last-resort antibiotics in many areas where multidrug resistance is observed in clinical medicine. In parallel, the heavy use of polymyxins in veterinary medicine is currently being reconsidered due to increased reports of polymyxin-resistant bacteria. Susceptibility testing is challenging with polymyxins, and currently available techniques are presented here. Genotypic and phenotypic methods that provide relevant information for diagnostic laboratories are presented. This review also presents recent works in relation to recently identified mechanisms of polymyxin resistance, including chromosomally encoded resistance traits as well as the recently identified plasmid-encoded polymyxin resistance determinant MCR-1. Epidemiological features summarizing the current knowledge in that field are presented. PMID:28275006

Biorefineries of carbon dioxide: From carbon capture and storage (CCS) to bioenergies production.

PubMed

Cheah, Wai Yan; Ling, Tau Chuan; Juan, Joon Ching; Lee, Duu-Jong; Chang, Jo-Shu; Show, Pau Loke

2016-09-01

Greenhouse gas emissions have several adverse environmental effects, like pollution and climate change. Currently applied carbon capture and storage (CCS) methods are not cost effective and have not been proven safe for long term sequestration. Another attractive approach is CO2 valorization, whereby CO2 can be captured in the form of biomass via photosynthesis and is subsequently converted into various form of bioenergy. This article summarizes the current carbon sequestration and utilization technologies, while emphasizing the value of bioconversion of CO2. In particular, CO2 sequestration by terrestrial plants, microalgae and other microorganisms are discussed. Prospects and challenges for CO2 conversion are addressed. The aim of this review is to provide comprehensive knowledge and updated information on the current advances in biological CO2 sequestration and valorization, which are essential if this approach is to achieve environmental sustainability and economic feasibility. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current status and perspectives of Clonorchis sinensis and clonorchiasis: epidemiology, pathogenesis, omics, prevention and control.

PubMed

Tang, Ze-Li; Huang, Yan; Yu, Xin-Bing

2016-07-06

Clonorchiasis, caused by Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis), is an important food-borne parasitic disease and one of the most common zoonoses. Currently, it is estimated that more than 200 million people are at risk of C. sinensis infection, and over 15 million are infected worldwide. C. sinensis infection is closely related to cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), fibrosis and other human hepatobiliary diseases; thus, clonorchiasis is a serious public health problem in endemic areas. This article reviews the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, disease burden and treatment of clonorchiasis as well as summarizes the techniques for detecting C. sinensis infection in humans and intermediate hosts and vaccine development against clonorchiasis. Newer data regarding the pathogenesis of clonorchiasis and the genome, transcriptome and secretome of C. sinensis are collected, thus providing perspectives for future studies. These advances in research will aid the development of innovative strategies for the prevention and control of clonorchiasis.

Current and future immunotherapeutic approaches in Hodgkin lymphoma.

PubMed

Bröckelmann, Paul J; Borchmann, Peter; Engert, Andreas

2016-09-01

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) has become a highly curable malignancy even in advanced stages when treated adequately. However, relapsed or refractory disease and treatment-related toxicity constitute a significant clinical challenge. Innovative approaches are thus needed to improve treatment of these mainly young patients. In HL lesions, very few malignant Hodgkin and Reed-Sternberg (HRS) cells are embedded in an immunosuppressive microenvironment of reactive cells. Novel approaches such as bispecific antibodies, antibody-drug conjugates, immune-checkpoint inhibitors or adoptive cellular therapies are currently being investigated with promising results in relapsed or refractory patients. Encouraging response rates and a favorable toxicity profile have recently been reported in early phase clinical trials with antibodies blocking the programed-death receptor 1 (PD1). This review will summarize the current clinical knowledge on mechanism, safety and efficacy of the different agents and discuss potential future strategies, which are partly already investigated within clinical trials.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Promising Treatment for Major Depressive Disorder?

PubMed Central

Bennabi, Djamila; Haffen, Emmanuel

2018-01-01

Background: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) opens new perspectives in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD), because of its ability to modulate cortical excitability and induce long-lasting effects. The aim of this review is to summarize the current status of knowledge regarding tDCS application in MDD. Methods: In this review, we searched for articles published in PubMed/MEDLINE from the earliest available date to February 2018 that explored clinical and cognitive effects of tDCS in MDD. Results: Despite differences in design and stimulation parameters, the examined studies indicated beneficial effects of tDCS for MDD. These preliminary results, the non-invasiveness of tDCS, and its good tolerability support the need for further research on this technique. Conclusions: tDCS constitutes a promising therapeutic alternative for patients with MDD, but its place in the therapeutic armamentarium remains to be determined. PMID:29734768

Parabens and their effects on the endocrine system.

PubMed

Nowak, Karolina; Ratajczak-Wrona, Wioletta; Górska, Maria; Jabłońska, Ewa

2018-03-27

Preservatives (ingredients which inhibit growth of microorganisms) are used to prolong shelf life of various foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Parabens are one of the most popular preservatives used in the aforementioned products and is currently being used worldwide. Parabens are easily absorbed by the human body. Thus, it is important to discuss about their safety with respect to human physiology. In view of the current literature, which classifies parabens as a group of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), it seems that the precise assessment of their influence on the human endocrine system is particularly important. Disruption of the endocrine homoeostasis might lead to multidirectional implications causing disruption of fitness and functions of the body. Therefore, in this review article, we aimed to summarize the current literature on properties, occurrence, and metabolism of parabens as well as to present recent progress in knowledge about their influence on the human endocrine system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS): A Beginner's Guide for Design and Implementation

PubMed Central

Thair, Hayley; Holloway, Amy L.; Newport, Roger; Smith, Alastair D.

2017-01-01

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a popular brain stimulation method that is used to modulate cortical excitability, producing facilitatory or inhibitory effects upon a variety of behaviors. There is, however, a current lack of consensus between studies, with many results suggesting that polarity-specific effects are difficult to obtain. This article explores some of these differences and highlights the experimental parameters that may underlie their occurrence. We provide a general, practical snapshot of tDCS methodology, including what it is used for, how to use it, and considerations for designing an effective and safe experiment. Our aim is to equip researchers who are new to tDCS with the essential knowledge so that they can make informed and well-rounded decisions when designing and running successful experiments. By summarizing the varied approaches, stimulation parameters, and outcomes, this article should help inform future tDCS research in a variety of fields. PMID:29213226

Post-exposure treatments for Ebola and Marburg virus infections.

PubMed

Cross, Robert W; Mire, Chad E; Feldmann, Heinz; Geisbert, Thomas W

2018-06-01

The filoviruses - Ebola virus and Marburg virus - cause lethal haemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates (NHPs). Filoviruses present a global health threat both as naturally acquired diseases and as potential agents of bioterrorism. In the recent 2013-2016 outbreak of Ebola virus, the most promising therapies for post-exposure use with demonstrated efficacy in the gold-standard NHP models of filovirus disease were unable to show statistically significant protection in patients infected with Ebola virus. This Review briefly discusses these failures and what has been learned from these experiences, and summarizes the current status of post-exposure medical countermeasures in development, including antibodies, small interfering RNA and small molecules. We outline how our current knowledge could be applied to the identification of novel interventions and ways to use interventions more effectively.

Myotonic dystrophies type 1 and 2: anesthetic care.

PubMed

Veyckemans, Francis; Scholtes, Jean-Louis

2013-09-01

Myotonic dystrophy is classified as one of the myotonic syndromes although myotonia is only a minor characteristic of it. It is, in fact, also a multisystem disease with cardiac, digestive, ocular, and endocrine abnormalities. Two subgroups are currently identified with many similarities: DM1 refers to classic dystrophia myotonica (Steinert disease), while DM2, formerly called proximal myotonic myopathy has a later onset. The congenital form is present only in DM1. The genetic causes of DM1 and 2 are different but end up in a similar way of altering RNAm processing and splicing of other genes. The anesthetic risk is increased in case of DM1 type. This review summarizes current knowledge concerning the pathophysiology and anesthetic management of this disease in children and adults. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Radiation and breast cancer: a review of current evidence

PubMed Central

Ronckers, Cécile M; Erdmann, Christine A; Land, Charles E

2005-01-01

This paper summarizes current knowledge on ionizing radiation-associated breast cancer in the context of established breast cancer risk factors, the radiation dose–response relationship, and modifiers of dose response, taking into account epidemiological studies and animal experiments. Available epidemiological data support a linear dose–response relationship down to doses as low as about 100 mSv. However, the magnitude of risk per unit dose depends strongly on when radiation exposure occurs: exposure before the age of 20 years carries the greatest risk. Other characteristics that may influence the magnitude of dose-specific risk include attained age (that is, age at observation for risk), age at first full-term birth, parity, and possibly a history of benign breast disease, exposure to radiation while pregnant, and genetic factors. PMID:15642178

The Emerging Role of Epigenetics in Inflammation and Immunometabolism.

PubMed

Raghuraman, Sukanya; Donkin, Ida; Versteyhe, Soetkin; Barrès, Romain; Simar, David

2016-11-01

Recent research developments have shed light on the risk factors contributing to metabolic complications, implicating both genetic and environmental factors, potentially integrated by epigenetic mechanisms. Distinct epigenetic changes in immune cells are frequently observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and these are associated with alterations in the phenotype, function, and trafficking patterns of these cells. The first step in the development of effective therapeutic strategies is the identification of distinct epigenetic signatures associated with metabolic disorders. In this review we provide an overview of the epigenetic mechanisms influencing immune cell phenotype and function, summarize current knowledge about epigenetic changes affecting immune functions in the context of metabolic diseases, and discuss the therapeutic options currently available to counteract epigenetically driven metabolic complications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration: current state-of-the-art care for optimizing visual outcomes and therapies in development

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Aniruddha; Rhoades, William R; Hanout, Mostafa; Soliman, Mohamed Kamel; Sarwar, Salman; Sadiq, Mohammad Ali; Sepah, Yasir Jamal; Do, Diana V; Nguyen, Quan Dong

2015-01-01

Contemporary management of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has evolved significantly over the last few years. The goal of treatment is shifting from merely salvaging vision to maintaining a high quality of life. There have been significant breakthroughs in the identification of viable drug targets and gene therapies. Imaging tools with near-histological precision have enhanced our knowledge about pathophysiological mechanisms that play a role in vision loss due to AMD. Visual, social, and vocational rehabilitation are all important treatment goals. In this review, evidence from landmark clinical trials is summarized to elucidate the optimum modern-day management of neovascular AMD. Therapeutic strategies currently under development, such as gene therapy and personalized medicine, are also described. PMID:26089632

Legal rights to safe abortion: knowledge and attitude of women in North-West Ethiopia toward the current Ethiopian abortion law.

PubMed

Muzeyen, R; Ayichiluhm, M; Manyazewal, T

2017-07-01

To assess women's knowledge and attitude toward Ethiopian current abortion law. A quantitative, community-based cross-sectional survey. Women of reproductive age in three selected lower districts in Bahir Dar, North-West Ethiopia, were included. Multi-stage simple random sampling and simple random sampling were used to select the districts and respondents, respectively. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising questions related to knowledge and attitude toward legal status of abortion and cases where abortion is currently allowed by law in Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data and multivariable logistic regression computed to assess the magnitude and significance of associations. Of 845 eligible women selected, 774 (92%) consented to participate and completed the interview. A total of 512 (66%) women were aware of the legal status of the Ethiopian abortion law and their primary sources of information were electronic media such as television and radio (43%) followed by healthcare providers (38.7%). Among women with awareness of the law, 293 (57.2%) were poor in knowledge, 188 (36.7%) fairly knowledgeable, and 31 (6.1%) good in knowledge about the cases where abortion is allowed by law. Of the total 774 women included, 438 (56.5%) hold liberal and 336 (43.5%) conservative attitude toward legalization of abortion. In the multivariable logistic regression, age had a significant association with knowledge, whereas occupation had a significant association with attitude toward the law. Women who had poor knowledge toward the law were more likely to have conservative attitude toward the law (adjusted odds ratio, 0.40; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.61). Though the Ethiopian criminal code legalized abortion under certain circumstances since 2005, a significant number of women knew little about the law and several protested legalization of abortion. Countries such as Ethiopia with high maternal mortality records need to lift high-impact interventions that would trigger women to understand and exercise their legal rights to safe abortion and other reproductive health securities. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Public’s Health Risk Awareness on Urban Air Pollution in Chinese Megacities: The Cases of Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanchang

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaojun; Zhu, Hui; Hu, Yongxin; Feng, Sha; Chu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Yanyan; Wang, Chiyu; Zhang, Yuxuan; Yuan, Zhaokang; Lu, Yuanan

2016-01-01

This study assessed the public’s health risk awareness of urban air pollution triggered by three megacities in China, and the data are the responses from a sample size of 3868 megacity inhabitants from Shanghai, Nanchang and Wuhan. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize the respondents’ demographics, perceived health risks from air pollution and sources of health-related knowledge on urban air pollution. Chi-square tests were used to examine if participants’ demographics were associated with participant’s general attitudes towards current air quality and the three perceived highest health risks due to urban air pollution. We found low rate of satisfaction of current urban air quality as well as poor knowledge of air pollution related indicator. Participants’ gender, age and travel experience were found to be associated with the satisfaction of current air quality. The knowledge of air pollution related indicator was significantly affected by respondents’ education, monthly income, health status, and sites of study. As many as 46.23% of the participants expressed their feelings of anxiety when exposed to polluted air, especially females, older adults and those with poor health conditions. Most participants believed that coughs/colds, eye problems and skin allergies were the three highest health risks due to urban air pollution based on public education through television/radio, internet and newspaper/magazine. Further public health education is needed to improve public awareness of air pollution and its effects. PMID:27571088

Public's Health Risk Awareness on Urban Air Pollution in Chinese Megacities: The Cases of Shanghai, Wuhan and Nanchang.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaojun; Zhu, Hui; Hu, Yongxin; Feng, Sha; Chu, Yuanyuan; Wu, Yanyan; Wang, Chiyu; Zhang, Yuxuan; Yuan, Zhaokang; Lu, Yuanan

2016-08-25

This study assessed the public's health risk awareness of urban air pollution triggered by three megacities in China, and the data are the responses from a sample size of 3868 megacity inhabitants from Shanghai, Nanchang and Wuhan. Descriptive analyses were used to summarize the respondents' demographics, perceived health risks from air pollution and sources of health-related knowledge on urban air pollution. Chi-square tests were used to examine if participants' demographics were associated with participant's general attitudes towards current air quality and the three perceived highest health risks due to urban air pollution. We found low rate of satisfaction of current urban air quality as well as poor knowledge of air pollution related indicator. Participants' gender, age and travel experience were found to be associated with the satisfaction of current air quality. The knowledge of air pollution related indicator was significantly affected by respondents' education, monthly income, health status, and sites of study. As many as 46.23% of the participants expressed their feelings of anxiety when exposed to polluted air, especially females, older adults and those with poor health conditions. Most participants believed that coughs/colds, eye problems and skin allergies were the three highest health risks due to urban air pollution based on public education through television/radio, internet and newspaper/magazine. Further public health education is needed to improve public awareness of air pollution and its effects.

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

PubMed

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

2017-06-01

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

Virology and Molecular Pathogenesis of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Associated Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

PubMed Central

Miller, Daniel L.; Puricelli, Michael D.; Stack, M. Sharon

2012-01-01

Current literature fully supports HPV-associated oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) as a unique clinical entity. It affects an unambiguous patient population with defined risk factors, has a genetic expression pattern more similar to cervical squamous cell carcinoma than non-HPV-associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and may warrant divergent clinical management compared to HNSCC associated with traditional risk factors. However, a detailed understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving these differences and the ability to exploit this knowledge to improve clinical management of OPSCC has not yet come to fruition. This review summarizes the etiology of HPV positive (HPV+) OPSCC and provides a detailed overview of HPV virology and molecular pathogenesis relevant to infection of oropharyngeal tissues. Methods of detection and differential gene expression analyses are also summarized. Future research into mechanisms that mediate tropism of HPV to oropharyngeal tissues, improved detection strategies, and the pathophysiologic significance of altered gene and microRNA expression profiles is warranted. PMID:22452816

A review of the structure-property relationships in lead-free piezoelectric (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3}

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

McQuade, Ryan R.; Dolgos, Michelle R., E-mail: Michelle.Dolgos@oregonstate.edu

2016-10-15

Piezoelectric materials are increasingly being investigated for energy harvesting applications where (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) is an important lead-free piezoelectric material with potential to be used as an actuator in energy harvesting devices. Much effort has been put into modifying NBT-BT to tune the properties for specific applications, but there is currently no consensus regarding the structure-property relationships in this material, making targeted, rational design a major challenge. In this review, we will summarize the current body of knowledge of NBT-BT and discuss contradicting studies, unresolved problems, and future directions in the field. - Graphical abstract: This reviewmore » of (1−x)Na{sub 0.5}Bi{sub 0.5}TiO{sub 3}–(x)BaTiO{sub 3} (NBT-BT) summarizes the large body of literature regarding the structure-property relationships of this complex material. We highlight structural studies of the average and local structures of both unpoled and poled samples of NBT-BT at its morphotropic phase boundary and discuss them in context of the observed piezoelectric properties. - Highlights: • Local and average structure of NBT-BT at morphotropic phase boundary is reviewed. • Average structure of poled and unpoled samples of NBT-BT is discussed. • Structure-property relationships in NBT-BT and future directions are summarized.« less

EVA Systems Technology Gaps and Priorities 2017

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Brian J.; Buffington, Jesse A.

2017-01-01

Performance of Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA) has been and will continue to be a critical capability for human space flight. Human exploration missions beyond LEO will require EVA capability for either contingency or nominal activities to support mission objectives and reduce mission risk. EVA systems encompass a wide array of products across pressure suits, life support systems, EVA tools and unique spacecraft interface hardware (i.e. EVA Translation Paths and EVA Worksites). In a fiscally limited environment with evolving transportation and habitation options, it is paramount that the EVA community's strategic planning and architecture integration products be reviewed and vetted for traceability between the mission needs far into the future to the known technology and knowledge gaps to the current investments across EVA systems. To ascertain EVA technology and knowledge gaps many things need to be brought together, assessed and analyzed. This includes an understanding of the destination environments, various mission concept of operations, current state of the art of EVA systems, EVA operational lessons learned, and reference advanced capabilities. A combined assessment of these inputs should result in well-defined list of gaps. This list can then be prioritized depending on the mission need dates and time scale of the technology or knowledge gap closure plan. This paper will summarize the current state of EVA related technology and knowledge gaps derived from NASA's Exploration EVA Reference Architecture and Operations Concept products. By linking these products and articulating NASA's approach to strategic development for EVA across all credible destinations an EVA could be done in, the identification of these gaps is then used to illustrate the tactical and strategic planning for the EVA technology development portfolio. Finally, this paper illustrates the various "touch points" with other human exploration risk identification areas including human health and performance.

Enhancing Biomedical Text Summarization Using Semantic Relation Extraction

PubMed Central

Shang, Yue; Li, Yanpeng; Lin, Hongfei; Yang, Zhihao

2011-01-01

Automatic text summarization for a biomedical concept can help researchers to get the key points of a certain topic from large amount of biomedical literature efficiently. In this paper, we present a method for generating text summary for a given biomedical concept, e.g., H1N1 disease, from multiple documents based on semantic relation extraction. Our approach includes three stages: 1) We extract semantic relations in each sentence using the semantic knowledge representation tool SemRep. 2) We develop a relation-level retrieval method to select the relations most relevant to each query concept and visualize them in a graphic representation. 3) For relations in the relevant set, we extract informative sentences that can interpret them from the document collection to generate text summary using an information retrieval based method. Our major focus in this work is to investigate the contribution of semantic relation extraction to the task of biomedical text summarization. The experimental results on summarization for a set of diseases show that the introduction of semantic knowledge improves the performance and our results are better than the MEAD system, a well-known tool for text summarization. PMID:21887336

The pathways of high school science teachers and policy efforts to alter the pipeline

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sass, Tim

2012-03-01

There is currently much interest in improving the quality of science education in K-12 schools and encouraging more students, particularly minorities and women, to pursue careers in STEM fields. Two interrelated issues are at the forefront: the quality of science teachers and the supply of science teachers. Education research in general finds that the single most important school-based factor affecting student achievement is teacher quality. While there is little evidence that teacher credentials matter for student achievement in the lower grades, there is at least some evidence that content knowledge is an important determinant of teacher quality in middle and secondary schools. However, little is known about the pre-service preparation of high school science teachers and how the training of science teachers affects their performance in the classroom. While there are many efforts underway to increase the supply of science teachers, little is known about the supply of science teachers from different pathways and the factors that lead science teachers to leave the profession. In this presentation I discuss recent work on the supply of teachers from alternative pathways, focusing on high school science teachers. I also summarize the literature on teacher quality and attrition, emphasizing the current state of knowledge on secondary school teachers. Finally, I present current policy initiatives and discuss the likelihood of their success given current research findings.

CD4 T Cell Responses in Latent and Chronic Viral Infections

PubMed Central

Walton, Senta; Mandaric, Sanja; Oxenius, Annette

2013-01-01

The spectrum of tasks which is fulfilled by CD4 T cells in the setting of viral infections is large, ranging from support of CD8 T cells and humoral immunity to exertion of direct antiviral effector functions. While our knowledge about the differentiation pathways, plasticity, and memory of CD4 T cell responses upon acute infections or immunizations has significantly increased during the past years, much less is still known about CD4 T cell differentiation and their beneficial or pathological functions during persistent viral infections. In this review we summarize current knowledge about the differentiation, direct or indirect antiviral effector functions, and the regulation of virus-specific CD4 T cells in the setting of persistent latent or active chronic viral infections with a particular emphasis on herpes virus infections for the former and chronic lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection for the latter. PMID:23717308

Influenza pathogenicity during pregnancy in women and animal models.

PubMed

van Riel, Debby; Mittrücker, Hans-Willi; Engels, Geraldine; Klingel, Karin; Markert, Udo R; Gabriel, Gülsah

2016-11-01

Pregnant women are at the highest risk to develop severe and even fatal influenza. The high vulnerability of women against influenza A virus infections during pregnancy was repeatedly highlighted during influenza pandemics including the pandemic of this century. In 2009, mortality rates were particularly high among otherwise healthy pregnant women. However, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in severe disease development during pregnancy is still very limited. In this review, we summarize the knowledge on the clinical observations in influenza A virus-infected pregnant women. In addition, knowledge obtained from few existing experimental infections in pregnant animal models is discussed. Since clinical data do not provide in-depth information on the pathogenesis of severe influenza during pregnancy, adequate animal models are urgently required that mimic clinical findings. Studies in pregnant animal models will allow the dissection of involved molecular disease pathways that are key to improve patient management and care.

Knowledge Translation in Rehabilitation: A Shared Vision.

PubMed

Moore, Jennifer L; Shikako-Thomas, Keiko; Backus, Deborah

2017-07-01

Advances in rehabilitation provide the infrastructure for research and clinical data to improve care and patient outcomes. However, gaps between research and practice are prevalent. Knowledge translation (KT) aims to decrease the gap between research and its clinical use. This special communication summarizes KT-related proceedings from the 2016 IV STEP conference, describes current KT in rehabilitation science, and provides suggestions for its application in clinical care. We propose a vision for rehabilitation clinical practice and research that includes the development, adaptation, and implementation of evidence-based practice recommendations, which will contribute to a learning health care system. A clinical research culture that supports this vision and methods to engage key stakeholders to innovate rehabilitation science and practice are described. Through implementation of this vision, we can lead an evolution in rehabilitation practice to ultimately prevent disabilities, predict better outcomes, exploit plasticity, and promote participation.

Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease.

PubMed

Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

2017-03-15

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients-specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements-in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status.

Environmental stressors influencing hormones and systems physiology in cattle

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Environmental stressors undoubtedly influence organismal biology, specifically the endocrine system that, in turn, impact cattle at the systems physiology level. Despite the significant advances in understanding the genetic determinants of the ideal dairy or beef cow, there is a grave lack of understanding of the systems physiology and effects of the environmental stressors that interfere with the endocrine system. This is a major problem because the lack of such knowledge is preventing advances in understanding gene-environment interactions and developing science-based solutions to these challenges. In this review, we synthesize the current knowledge on the nature of the major environmental stressors, such as climate (heat, cold, wind, and humidity), nutrition (feeds, feeding systems, and endocrine disruptors) and management (housing density and conditions, transportation, weaning practices). We summarize the impact of each one of these factors on cattle at the systems level, and provide solutions for the challenges. PMID:24996419

Applications of white rot fungi in bioremediation with nanoparticles and biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles.

PubMed

He, Kai; Chen, Guiqiu; Zeng, Guangming; Huang, Zhenzhen; Guo, Zhi; Huang, Tiantian; Peng, Min; Shi, Jiangbo; Hu, Liang

2017-06-01

White rot fungi (WRF) are important environmental microorganisms that have been widely applied in many fields. To our knowledge, the application performance of WRF in bioremediation can be greatly improved by the combination with nanotechnology. And the preparation of metallic nanoparticles using WRF is an emerging biosynthesis approach. Understanding the interrelation of WRF and nanoparticles is important to further expand their applications. Thus, this mini-review summarizes the currently related reports mainly from the two different point of views. We highlight that nanoparticles as supports or synergistic agents can enhance the stability and bioremediation performance of WRF in wastewater treatment and the biosynthesis process and conditions of several important metallic nanoparticles by WRF. Furthermore, the potential toxicity of nanoparticles on WRF and challenges encountered are also discussed. Herein, we deem that this mini-review will strengthen the basic knowledge and provide valuable insight for the applications of WRF and nanoparticles.

Pre-implantation Development of Domestic Animals.

PubMed

Piliszek, Anna; Madeja, Zofia E

2018-01-01

During the first days following fertilization, cells of mammalian embryo gradually lose totipotency, acquiring distinct identity. The first three lineages specified in the mammalian embryo are pluripotent epiblast, which later gives rise to the embryo proper, and two extraembryonic lineages, hypoblast (also known as primitive endoderm) and trophectoderm, which form tissues supporting development of the fetus in utero. Most of our knowledge regarding the mechanisms of early lineage specification in mammals comes from studies in the mouse. However, the growing body of evidence points to both similarities and species-specific differences. Understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms of early embryonic development in nonrodent mammals expands our understanding of basic mechanisms of differentiation and is essential for the development of effective protocols for assisted reproduction in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and for biomedical research. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge on key events in epiblast, hypoblast, and trophoblast differentiation in domestic mammals. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Genetics of the dentofacial variation in human malocclusion

PubMed Central

Moreno Uribe, L. M.; Miller, S. F.

2015-01-01

Malocclusions affect individuals worldwide, resulting in compromised function and esthetics. Understanding the etiological factors contributing to the variation in dentofacial morphology associated with malocclusions is the key to develop novel treatment approaches. Advances in dentofacial phenotyping, which is the comprehensive characterization of hard and soft tissue variation in the craniofacial complex, together with the acquisition of large-scale genomic data have started to unravel genetic mechanisms underlying facial variation. Knowledge on the genetics of human malocclusion is limited even though results attained thus far are encouraging, with promising opportunities for future research. This review summarizes the most common dentofacial variations associated with malocclusions and reviews the current knowledge of the roles of genes in the development of malocclusions. Lastly, this review will describe ways to advance malocclusion research, following examples from the expanding fields of phenomics and genomic medicine, which aim to better patient outcomes. PMID:25865537

Rare Earth Element Mines, Deposits, and Occurrences

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orris, Greta J.; Grauch, Richard I.

2002-01-01

Data on rare earth (including yttrium) mines, deposits, and occurrences were compiled as part of an effort by the USGS and the University of Arizona Center for Mineral Resources to summarize current knowledge on the supply and demand outlook and related topics for this group of elements. Economic competition and environmental concerns are increasingly constraining the mining and processing of rare earths from the Mountain Pass mine in California. For many years, the deposit at Mountain Pass was the world's dominant source of rare earth elements and the United States was essentially self-sufficient. Starting approximately 10 years ago, the U.S. has become increasingly dependent (> 90 percent of separated rare earths) upon imports from China, now the dominant source of rare earths. A knowledge of the known economic and noneconomic sources of rare earths is basic to evaluating the outlook for rare earth supply and associated issues.

Age-related changes in the response of intestinal cells to 1α,25(OH)2-vitamin D3.

PubMed

Gonzalez Pardo, Verónica; Russo de Boland, Ana

2013-01-01

The hormonally active form of vitamin D(3), 1α,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D(3), acts in intestine, its major target tissue, where its actions are of regulatory and developmental importance: regulation of intracellular calcium through modulation of second messengers and activation of mitogenic cascades leading to cell proliferation. Several causes have been postulated to modify the hormone response in intestinal cells with ageing, among them, alterations of vitamin D receptor (VDR) levels and binding sites, reduced expression of G-proteins and hormone signal transduction changes. The current review summarizes the actual knowledge regarding the molecular and biochemical basis of age-impaired 1α,25(OH)(2)-vitamin D(3) receptor-mediated signaling in intestinal cells. A fundamental understanding why the hormone functions are impaired with age will enhance our knowledge of its importance in intestinal cell physiology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Food allergen protein families and their structural characteristics and application in component-resolved diagnosis: new data from the EuroPrevall project.

PubMed

Hoffmann-Sommergruber, Karin; Mills, E N Clare

2009-09-01

A large number of food allergens able to induce allergic symptoms in predisposed individuals, including severe, even life-threatening reactions, have been identified and characterized. However, proteins able to cause such IgE-mediated reactions can be assigned to only a limited number of protein families. Detailed knowledge about the characteristics of food allergens, their 3D structures, biological activity and stability, will help to improve diagnosis of food allergy, avoid unnecessary exclusion diets and assess the risk of cross-reactive allergies to other food sources. This review is dedicated to summarizing current knowledge about the most important food allergen protein families and to presenting data from the EuroPrevall allergen library, a proof-of-concept collection of highly purified, characterized and authenticated food allergens from animal and plant food sources to facilitate improved diagnosis of food allergies.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in cystic fibrosis: pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic approaches.

PubMed

Lund-Palau, Helena; Turnbull, Andrew R; Bush, Andrew; Bardin, Emmanuelle; Cameron, Loren; Soren, Odel; Wierre-Gore, Natasha; Alton, Eric W F W; Bundy, Jacob G; Connett, Gary; Faust, Saul N; Filloux, Alain; Freemont, Paul; Jones, Andy; Khoo, Valerie; Morales, Sandra; Murphy, Ronan; Pabary, Rishi; Simbo, Ameze; Schelenz, Silke; Takats, Zoltan; Webb, Jeremy; Williams, Huw D; Davies, Jane C

2016-06-01

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a remarkably versatile environmental bacterium with an extraordinary capacity to infect the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung. Infection with P. aeruginosa occurs early, and although eradication can be achieved following early detection, chronic infection occurs in over 60% of adults with CF. Chronic infection is associated with accelerated disease progression and increased mortality. Extensive research has revealed complex mechanisms by which P. aeruginosa adapts to and persists within the CF airway. Yet knowledge gaps remain, and prevention and treatment strategies are limited by the lack of sensitive detection methods and by a narrow armoury of antibiotics. Further developments in this field are urgently needed in order to improve morbidity and mortality in people with CF. Here, we summarize current knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms underlying P. aeruginosa infection in CF. Established treatments are discussed, and an overview is offered of novel detection methods and therapeutic strategies in development.

Best practices in the treatment of early cystic fibrosis lung disease.

PubMed

Proesmans, Marijke

2017-02-01

For many years, management of cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease was focused on symptomatic treatment of chronic lung infection, which is characterized by cough and sputum production, leading to progressive lung damage. With increasing survival and better knowledge of the pathogenesis of CF lung disease, it has become clear that treatment has to start very early because lung damage occurs in young patients, often before obvious symptoms appear. The arrival of new cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance-regulator (CFTR)-correcting therapies will bring more opportunities to prevent the disease, apart from only treating chronic lung infection. In this review, a summary of the current knowledge of early CF lung disease is provided, based on animal model studies, as well as on data obtained from well structured follow-up programs after newborn screening (NBS). The most important clinical guidelines for treating young CF patients are also summarized.

Workgroup Report: Public Health Strategies for Reducing Aflatoxin Exposure in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Strosnider, Heather; Azziz-Baumgartner, Eduardo; Banziger, Marianne; Bhat, Ramesh V.; Breiman, Robert; Brune, Marie-Noel; DeCock, Kevin; Dilley, Abby; Groopman, John; Hell, Kerstin; Henry, Sara H.; Jeffers, Daniel; Jolly, Curtis; Jolly, Pauline; Kibata, Gilbert N.; Lewis, Lauren; Liu, Xiumei; Luber, George; McCoy, Leslie; Mensah, Patience; Miraglia, Marina; Misore, Ambrose; Njapau, Henry; Ong, Choon-Nam; Onsongo, Mary T.K.; Page, Samuel W.; Park, Douglas; Patel, Manish; Phillips, Timothy; Pineiro, Maya; Pronczuk, Jenny; Rogers, Helen Schurz; Rubin, Carol; Sabino, Myrna; Schaafsma, Arthur; Shephard, Gordon; Stroka, Joerg; Wild, Christopher; Williams, Jonathan T.; Wilson, David

2006-01-01

Consecutive outbreaks of acute aflatoxicosis in Kenya in 2004 and 2005 caused > 150 deaths. In response, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization convened a workgroup of international experts and health officials in Geneva, Switzerland, in July 2005. After discussions concerning what is known about aflatoxins, the workgroup identified gaps in current knowledge about acute and chronic human health effects of aflatoxins, surveillance and food monitoring, analytic methods, and the efficacy of intervention strategies. The workgroup also identified public health strategies that could be integrated with current agricultural approaches to resolve gaps in current knowledge and ultimately reduce morbidity and mortality associated with the consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated food in the developing world. Four issues that warrant immediate attention were identified: a) quantify the human health impacts and the burden of disease due to aflatoxin exposure; b) compile an inventory, evaluate the efficacy, and disseminate results of ongoing intervention strategies; c) develop and augment the disease surveillance, food monitoring, laboratory, and public health response capacity of affected regions; and d) develop a response protocol that can be used in the event of an outbreak of acute aflatoxicosis. This report expands on the workgroup’s discussions concerning aflatoxin in developing countries and summarizes the findings. PMID:17185282

Increasing quality of life in pulmonary arterial hypertension: is there a role for nutrition?

PubMed

Vinke, Paulien; Jansen, Suzanne M; Witkamp, Renger F; van Norren, Klaske

2018-06-16

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease primarily affecting the pulmonary vasculature and heart. PAH patients suffer from exercise intolerance and fatigue, negatively affecting their quality of life. This review summarizes current insights in the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PAH. It zooms in on the potential involvement of nutritional status and micronutrient deficiencies on PAH exercise intolerance and fatigue, also summarizing the potential benefits of exercise and nutritional interventions. Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for publications on pathophysiological mechanisms of PAH negatively affecting physical activity potential and nutritional status, and for potential effects of interventions involving exercise or nutritional measures known to improve exercise intolerance. Pathophysiological processes that contribute to exercise intolerance and impaired quality of life of PAH patients include right ventricular dysfunction, inflammation, skeletal muscle alterations, and dysfunctional energy metabolism. PAH-related nutritional deficiencies and metabolic alterations have been linked to fatigue, exercise intolerance, and endothelial dysfunction. Available evidence suggests that exercise interventions can be effective in PAH patients to improve exercise tolerance and decrease fatigue. By contrast, knowledge on the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies and the possible effects of nutritional interventions in PAH patients is limited. Although data on nutritional status and micronutrient deficiencies in PAH are scarce, the available knowledge, including that from adjacent fields, suggests that nutritional intervention to correct deficiencies and metabolic alterations may contribute to a reduction of disease burden.

Research in Knowledge Representation for Natural Language Understanding.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOO COVERED RESEARCH IN KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATION Annual Report FOR NATURAL LANGUAGE UNDERSTANDING 9/1/83 - 8/31/84 S. PERFORMING...nhaber) Artificial intelligence, natural language understanding , knowledge representation, semantics, semantic networks, KL-TWO, NIKL, belief and...attempting to understand and react to a complex, evolving situation. This report summarizes our research in knowledge representation and natural language

Protein kinase C isoforms in atherosclerosis: pro- or anti-inflammatory?

PubMed

Fan, Hueng-Chuen; Fernández-Hernando, Carlos; Lai, Jenn-Haung

2014-03-15

Atherosclerosis is a pathologic condition caused by chronic inflammation in response to lipid deposition in the arterial wall. There are many known contributing factors such as long-term abnormal glucose levels, smoking, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Under the influence of such factors, immune and non-immune effectors cells are activated and participate during the progression of atherosclerosis. Protein kinase C (PKC) family isoforms are key players in the signal transduction pathways of cellular activation and have been associated with several aspects of the atherosclerotic vascular disease. This review article summarizes the current knowledge of PKC isoforms functions during atherogenesis, and addresses differential roles and disputable observations of PKC isoforms. Among PKC isoforms, both PKCβ and PKCδ are the most attractive and potential therapeutic targets. This commentary discusses in detail the outcomes and current status of clinical trials on PKCβ and PKCδ inhibitors in atherosclerosis-associated disorders like diabetes and myocardial infarction. The risk and benefit of these inhibitors for clinical purposes will be also discussed. This review summarizes what is already being done and what else needs to be done in further targeting PKC isoforms, especially PKCβ and PKCδ, for therapy of atherosclerosis and atherosclerosis-associated vasculopathies in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Vitamin E and Other Fat-Soluble Vitamins on Alzheimer´s Disease.

PubMed

Grimm, Marcus O W; Mett, Janine; Hartmann, Tobias

2016-10-26

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population, currently affecting 46 million people worldwide. Histopathologically, the disease is characterized by the occurrence of extracellular amyloid plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing the microtubule-associated protein tau. Aβ peptides are derived from the sequential processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by enzymes called secretases, which are strongly influenced by the lipid environment. Several vitamins have been reported to be reduced in the plasma/serum of AD-affected individuals indicating they have an impact on AD pathogenesis. In this review we focus on vitamin E and the other lipophilic vitamins A, D, and K, and summarize the current knowledge about their status in AD patients, their impact on cognitive functions and AD risk, as well as their influence on the molecular mechanisms of AD. The vitamins might affect the generation and clearance of Aβ both by direct effects and indirectly by altering the cellular lipid homeostasis. Additionally, vitamins A, D, E, and K are reported to influence further mechanisms discussed to be involved in AD pathogenesis, e.g., Aβ-aggregation, Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory processes, as summarized in this article.

The Impact of Vitamin E and Other Fat-Soluble Vitamins on Alzheimer´s Disease

PubMed Central

Grimm, Marcus O. W.; Mett, Janine; Hartmann, Tobias

2016-01-01

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population, currently affecting 46 million people worldwide. Histopathologically, the disease is characterized by the occurrence of extracellular amyloid plaques composed of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles containing the microtubule-associated protein tau. Aβ peptides are derived from the sequential processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by enzymes called secretases, which are strongly influenced by the lipid environment. Several vitamins have been reported to be reduced in the plasma/serum of AD-affected individuals indicating they have an impact on AD pathogenesis. In this review we focus on vitamin E and the other lipophilic vitamins A, D, and K, and summarize the current knowledge about their status in AD patients, their impact on cognitive functions and AD risk, as well as their influence on the molecular mechanisms of AD. The vitamins might affect the generation and clearance of Aβ both by direct effects and indirectly by altering the cellular lipid homeostasis. Additionally, vitamins A, D, E, and K are reported to influence further mechanisms discussed to be involved in AD pathogenesis, e.g., Aβ-aggregation, Aβ-induced neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammatory processes, as summarized in this article. PMID:27792188

The Journey of Interstellar Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dwek, Eliahu

2007-01-01

Interstellar dust particles undergo a complex journey in space. It commences with their formation in stellar outflows or outbursts, but may end in very different ways. Their fates range from sudden "death by destruction" promptly after their formation to maturity and inclusion in protoplanetary objects in stellar nursery homes. Throughout this journey dust grains are subjected to a host of interstellar processes in different astrophysical environments which leave their imprint on the dust and affects their surrounding environment. In this review I will summarize our current knowledge of the field, emphasizing what we still need to know to gain a full understanding of interstellar dust grains and their journey through the ISM.

Permeability barrier of Gram-negative cell envelopes and approaches to bypass it

DOE PAGES

Zgurskaya, Helen I.; López, Cesar A.; Gnanakaran, Sandrasegaram

2015-09-18

Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Species that have acquired multidrug resistance and cause infections that are effectively untreatable present a serious threat to public health. The problem is broadly recognized and tackled at both the fundamental and applied levels. This article summarizes current advances in understanding the molecular bases of the low permeability barrier of Gram-negative pathogens, which is the major obstacle in discovery and development of antibiotics effective against such pathogens. Gaps in knowledge and specific strategies to break this barrier and to achieve potent activities against difficult Gram-negative bacteria are also discussed.

Norovirus Infection in Older Adults: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Opportunities for Prevention and Control.

PubMed

Cardemil, Cristina V; Parashar, Umesh D; Hall, Aron J

2017-12-01

Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis. In older adults, it is responsible for an estimated 3.7 million illnesses; 320,000 outpatient visits; 69,000 emergency department visits; 39,000 hospitalizations; and 960 deaths annually in the United States. Older adults are particularly at risk for severe outcomes, including prolonged symptoms and death. Long-term care facilities and hospitals are the most common settings for norovirus outbreaks in developed countries. Diagnostic platforms are expanding. Several norovirus vaccines in clinical trials have the potential to reap benefits. This review summarizes current knowledge on norovirus infection in older adults. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Hepatocellular carcinoma and the risk of occupational exposure

PubMed Central

Rapisarda, Venerando; Loreto, Carla; Malaguarnera, Michele; Ardiri, Annalisa; Proiti, Maria; Rigano, Giuseppe; Frazzetto, Evelise; Ruggeri, Maria Irene; Malaguarnera, Giulia; Bertino, Nicoletta; Malaguarnera, Mariano; Catania, Vito Emanuele; Di Carlo, Isidoro; Toro, Adriana; Bertino, Emanuele; Mangano, Dario; Bertino, Gaetano

2016-01-01

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer. The main risk factors for HCC are alcoholism, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cirrhosis, aflatoxin, hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease and hemophilia. Occupational exposure to chemicals is another risk factor for HCC. Often the relationship between occupational risk and HCC is unclear and the reports are fragmented and inconsistent. This review aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the association of infective and non-infective occupational risk exposure and HCC in order to encourage further research and draw attention to this global occupational public health problem. PMID:27168870

Oestrogens and spermatogenesis

PubMed Central

Carreau, Serge; Hess, Rex A.

2010-01-01

The role of oestrogens in male reproductive tract physiology has for a long time been a subject of debate. The testis produces significant amounts of oestrogenic hormones, via aromatase, and oestrogen receptors (ERs)α (ESR1) and ERβ (ESR2) are selectively expressed in cells of the testis as well as the epididymal epithelium, depending upon species. This review summarizes the current knowledge concerning the presence and activity of aromatase and ERs in testis and sperm and the potential roles that oestrogens may have in mammalian spermatogenesis. Data show that physiology of the male gonad is in part under the control of a balance of androgens and oestrogens, with aromatase serving as a modulator. PMID:20403867

Resources and biological activities of natural polyphenols.

PubMed

Li, An-Na; Li, Sha; Zhang, Yu-Jie; Xu, Xiang-Rong; Chen, Yu-Ming; Li, Hua-Bin

2014-12-22

The oxidative stress imposed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in many chronic and degenerative diseases. As an important category of phytochemicals, phenolic compounds universally exist in plants, and have been considered to have high antioxidant ability and free radical scavenging capacity, with the mechanism of inhibiting the enzymes responsible for ROS production and reducing highly oxidized ROS. Therefore, phenolic compounds have attracted increasing attention as potential agents for preventing and treating many oxidative stress-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, ageing, diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes current knowledge of natural polyphenols, including resource, bioactivities, bioavailability and potential toxicity.

The sympathetic/parasympathetic imbalance in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

PubMed Central

Floras, John S.; Ponikowski, Piotr

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular autonomic imbalance, a cardinal phenotype of human heart failure, has adverse implications for symptoms during wakefulness and sleep; for cardiac, renal, and immune function; for exercise capacity; and for lifespan and mode of death. The objectives of this Clinical Review are to summarize current knowledge concerning mechanisms for disturbed parasympathetic and sympathetic circulatory control in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and its clinical and prognostic implications; to demonstrate the patient-specific nature of abnormalities underlying this common phenotype; and to illustrate how such variation provides opportunities to improve or restore normal sympathetic/parasympathetic balance through personalized drug or device therapy. PMID:25975657

Synthesis of Binary Transition Metal Nitrides, Carbides and Borides from the Elements in the Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cell and Their Structure-Property Relations

PubMed Central

Friedrich, Alexandra; Winkler, Björn; Juarez-Arellano, Erick A.; Bayarjargal, Lkhamsuren

2011-01-01

Transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides have a high potential for industrial applications as they not only have a high melting point but are generally harder and less compressible than the pure metals. Here we summarize recent advances in the synthesis of binary transition metal nitrides, carbides and borides focusing on the reaction of the elements at extreme conditions generated within the laser-heated diamond anvil cell. The current knowledge of their structures and high-pressure properties like high-(p,T) stability, compressibility and hardness is described as obtained from experiments. PMID:28824101

Peptide trafficking and translocation across membranes in cellular signaling and self-defense strategies.

PubMed

Abele, Rupert; Tampé, Robert

2009-08-01

Cells are metastable per se and a fine-tuned balance of de novo protein synthesis and degradation shapes their proteome. The primary function of peptides is to supply amino acids for de novo protein synthesis or as an energy source during starvation. Peptides are intrinsically short-lived and steadily trimmed by an armada of intra and extracellular peptidases. However, peptides acquired additional, more sophisticated tasks already early in evolution. Here, we summarize current knowledge on intracellular peptide trafficking and translocation mediated by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transport machineries with a focus on the functions of protein degradation products as important signaling molecules in self-defense mechanisms.

Molecular aspects of ultraviolet radiation-induced apoptosis in the skin.

PubMed

Chow, Jeffrey; Tron, Victor A

2005-12-01

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an essential physiological process that controls cell numbers during physiological processes, and eliminates abnormal cells that can potentially harm an organism. This review summarizes our current state of knowledge of apoptosis induction in skin by UV radiation. A review of the literature was undertaken focusing on cell death in the skin secondary to UV radiation. It is evident that a number of apoptotic pathways, both intrinsic and extrinsic, are induced following exposure to damaging UV radiation. Although our understanding of the apoptotic processes is gradually increasing, many important aspects remain obscure. These include interconnections between pathways, wavelength-specific differences and cell type differences.

Receptor-Mediated Uptake of Phosphorothioate Antisense Oligonucleotides in Different Cell Types of the Liver.

PubMed

Miller, Colton M; Tanowitz, Michael; Donner, Aaron J; Prakash, Thazha P; Swayze, Eric E; Harris, Edward N; Seth, Punit P

2018-06-01

Oligonucleotide therapeutics have emerged as a third distinct platform for drug discovery within the pharmaceutical industry. Five oligonucleotide-based drugs have been approved by the US FDA and over 100 oligonucleotides drugs are currently at different stages of human trials. Several of these oligonucleotide drugs are modified using the phosphorothioate (PS) backbone modification where one of the nonbridging oxygen atoms of the phosphodiester linkage is replaced with sulfur. In this review, we summarize our knowledge on receptor-mediated uptake of PS antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) within different cell types of the liver-a privileged organ for the discovery of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics.

Reaching and Grasping in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of Recent Literature

PubMed Central

Sacrey, Lori-Ann R.; Germani, Tamara; Bryson, Susan E.; Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie

2013-01-01

Impairments in motor functioning, which, until recently, have rarely been a primary focus in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, may play a key role in the early expression of biological vulnerability and be associated with key social-communication deficits. This review summarizes current knowledge of motor behavior in ASD, focusing specifically on reaching and grasping. Convergent data across the lifespan indicate that impairments to reaching and grasping emerge early in life, affect the planning and execution of motor programs, and may be impacted by additional impairments to sensory control of motor behavior. The relationship between motor impairments and diagnostic outcomes will be discussed. PMID:24478753

New paradigms in PCOS: impaired glucose tolerance and cardiovascular risk. Clinical approach.

PubMed

Ravn, P

2015-04-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine disorder amongst women of reproductive age and is associated with various metabolic risk factors, in addition to chronic anovulation and factors related to androgen excess. Women with PCOS have a higher risk of insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia, and an increased prothrombotic state, resulting in a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus, subclinical atherosclerosis, vascular dysfunction, and apparently cardiovascular disease and mortality. The aim of the present article was to summarize current knowledge with focus on a suggestion to the clinical approach and handling of these metabolic risk factors.

Domestication and Breeding of Jatropha curcas L.

PubMed

Montes, Juan M; Melchinger, Albrecht E

2016-12-01

Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) has a high, untapped potential to contribute towards sustainable production of food and bioenergy, rehabilitation of degraded land, and reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Tremendous progress in jatropha domestication and breeding has been achieved during the past decade. This review: (i) summarizes current knowledge about the domestication and breeding of jatropha; (ii) identifies and prioritizes areas for further research; and (iii) proposes strategies to exploit the full genetic potential of this plant species. Altogether, the outlook is promising for accelerating the domestication of jatropha by applying modern scientific methods and novel technologies developed in plant breeding. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Permeability barrier of Gram-negative cell envelopes and approaches to bypass it

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

Zgurskaya, Helen I.; López, Cesar A.; Gnanakaran, Sandrasegaram

Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics. Species that have acquired multidrug resistance and cause infections that are effectively untreatable present a serious threat to public health. The problem is broadly recognized and tackled at both the fundamental and applied levels. This article summarizes current advances in understanding the molecular bases of the low permeability barrier of Gram-negative pathogens, which is the major obstacle in discovery and development of antibiotics effective against such pathogens. Gaps in knowledge and specific strategies to break this barrier and to achieve potent activities against difficult Gram-negative bacteria are also discussed.

Archaeal DNA replication.

PubMed

Kelman, Lori M; Kelman, Zvi

2014-01-01

DNA replication is essential for all life forms. Although the process is fundamentally conserved in the three domains of life, bioinformatic, biochemical, structural, and genetic studies have demonstrated that the process and the proteins involved in archaeal DNA replication are more similar to those in eukaryal DNA replication than in bacterial DNA replication, but have some archaeal-specific features. The archaeal replication system, however, is not monolithic, and there are some differences in the replication process between different species. In this review, the current knowledge of the mechanisms governing DNA replication in Archaea is summarized. The general features of the replication process as well as some of the differences are discussed.

The Role of Microglia and Matrix Metalloproteinases Involvement in Neuroinflammation and Gliomas

PubMed Central

Könnecke, Helen; Bechmann, Ingo

2013-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases (such as multiple sclerosis) as well as in the expansion of malignant gliomas because they facilitate penetration of anatomical barriers (such as the glia limitans) and migration within the neuropil. This review elucidates pathomechanisms and summarizes the current knowledge of the involvement of MMPs in neuroinflammation and glioma, invasion highlighting microglia as major sources of MMPs. The induction of expression, suppression, and multiple pathways of function of MMPs in these scenarios will also be discussed. Understanding the induction and action of MMPs might provide valuable information and reveal attractive targets for future therapeutic strategies. PMID:24023566

MicroRNAs in prostate cancer: Functional role as biomarkers.

PubMed

Kanwal, Rajnee; Plaga, Alexis R; Liu, Xiaoqi; Shukla, Girish C; Gupta, Sanjay

2017-10-28

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding molecules that alters gene expression through post-transcriptional regulation of messenger RNA. Compelling evidence suggest the role of miRNA in cancer biology having potential as diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers. This review summarizes the current knowledge on miRNA deregulated in prostate cancer and their role as oncogene, tumor suppressor and metastasis regulators. The emerging information elucidating the biological function of miRNA is promising and may lead to their potential usefulness as diagnostic/prognostic markers and development as effective therapeutic tools for management of prostate cancer. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aqueous foams: a field of investigation at the frontier between chemistry and physics.

PubMed

Langevin, Dominique

2008-03-14

This paper reviews the properties of aqueous foams. The current state of knowledge is summarized briefly and the interdisciplinary aspects of this field of investigation are emphasized. Many phenomena are controlled by physical laws, but they are highly dependent upon the chemicals used as foam stabilizers: surfactants, polymers, particles. Most of the existing work is related to surfactants and polymer foams, and little is known yet for particle foams although research in this field is becoming popular. This article presents the general concepts used to describe the monolayers and the films and also some of the recent advances being made in this area.

'Limits and current knowledge of Pick's disease: its differential diagnosis'. A translation of the 1957 Delay, Brion, Escourolle article.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Marie-Pierre; Miller, Bruce L

2013-01-01

This article is a translation of a French article by Delay, Brion, and Escourolle. In a seminal article published in French in 1957 these authors summarized the work of previous researchers and reviewed a wide sample of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) cases formerly referred to as Pick's disease. The authors were among the first to define the critical clinical and anatomical differences between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and FTD and they even delineated distinctive FTD subtypes making possible the advances that now constitute the base of our studies. Reviewing their work allows us to appreciate the progress research has made.

Insights into neurogenesis and aging: potential therapy for degenerative disease?

PubMed Central

Marr, Robert A; Thomas, Rosanne M; Peterson, Daniel A

2010-01-01

Neurogenesis is the process by which new neural cells are generated from a small population of multipotent stem cells in the adult CNS. This natural generation of new cells is limited in its regenerative capabilities and also declines with age. The use of stem cells in the treatment of neurodegenerative disease may hold great potential; however, the age-related incidence of many CNS diseases coincides with reduced neurogenesis. This review concisely summarizes current knowledge related to adult neurogenesis and its alteration with aging and examines the feasibility of using stem cell and gene therapies to combat diseases of the CNS with advancing age. PMID:20806052

Resources and Biological Activities of Natural Polyphenols

PubMed Central

Li, An-Na; Li, Sha; Zhang, Yu-Jie; Xu, Xiang-Rong; Chen, Yu-Ming; Li, Hua-Bin

2014-01-01

The oxidative stress imposed by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in many chronic and degenerative diseases. As an important category of phytochemicals, phenolic compounds universally exist in plants, and have been considered to have high antioxidant ability and free radical scavenging capacity, with the mechanism of inhibiting the enzymes responsible for ROS production and reducing highly oxidized ROS. Therefore, phenolic compounds have attracted increasing attention as potential agents for preventing and treating many oxidative stress-related diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, ageing, diabetes mellitus and neurodegenerative diseases. This review summarizes current knowledge of natural polyphenols, including resource, bioactivities, bioavailability and potential toxicity. PMID:25533011

Visualizing Molecular Diffusion through Passive Permeability Barriers in Cells: Conventional and Novel Approaches

PubMed Central

Lin, Yu-Chun; Phua, Siew Cheng; Lin, Benjamin; Inoue, Takanari

2013-01-01

Diffusion barriers are universal solutions for cells to achieve distinct organizations, compositions, and activities within a limited space. The influence of diffusion barriers on the spatiotemporal dynamics of signaling molecules often determines cellular physiology and functions. Over the years, the passive permeability barriers in various subcellular locales have been characterized using elaborate analytical techniques. In this review, we will summarize the current state of knowledge on the various passive permeability barriers present in mammalian cells. We will conclude with a description of several conventional techniques and one new approach based on chemically-inducible diffusion trap (C-IDT) for probing permeable barriers. PMID:23731778

Can Plant Microbiome Studies Lead to Effective Biocontrol of Plant Diseases?

PubMed

Ellis, Jeffrey G

2017-03-01

In this review, the wisdom and efficacy of studies seeking disease attenuating microbes and microbiomes only in healthy plant communities is questioned and an alternative view is posited, namely that success in biocontrol of crop diseases may also come from studies of microbiota, or at least individual species isolates, associated with diseased plants. In support of this view, I summarize the current extensive knowledge of the biology behind what is probably the most successful biocontrol of a plant disease, namely the biocontrol of crown gall of stone fruit using non-pathogenic Rhizobium rhizogenes K84, in which the biocontrol agent itself came from a diseased plant.

Regulation of Protein Degradation by O-GlcNAcylation: Crosstalk with Ubiquitination*

PubMed Central

Ruan, Hai-Bin; Nie, Yongzhan; Yang, Xiaoyong

2013-01-01

The post-translational modification of intracellular proteins by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) regulates essential cellular processes such as signal transduction, transcription, translation, and protein degradation. Misfolded, damaged, and unwanted proteins are tagged with a chain of ubiquitin moieties for degradation by the proteasome, which is critical for cellular homeostasis. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the interplay between O-GlcNAcylation and ubiquitination in the control of protein degradation. Understanding the mechanisms of action of O-GlcNAcylation in the ubiquitin-proteosome system shall facilitate the development of therapeutics for human diseases such as cancer, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegenerative diseases. PMID:23824911

Considerations to improve the safety of cervical spine manual therapy.

PubMed

Hutting, Nathan; Kerry, Roger; Coppieters, Michel W; Scholten-Peeters, Gwendolijne G M

2018-02-01

Manipulation and mobilisation of the cervical spine are well established interventions in the management of patients with headache and/or neck pain. However, their benefits are accompanied by potential, yet rare risks in terms of serious adverse events, including neurovascular insult to the brain. A recent international framework for risk assessment and management offers directions in the mitigation of this risk by facilitating sound clinical reasoning. The aim of this article is to critically reflect on and summarize the current knowledge about cervical spine manual therapy and to provide guidance for clinical reasoning for cervical spine manual therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Arabidopsis: A Colorful Pathway

PubMed Central

Ruiz-Sola, M. Águila; Rodríguez-Concepción, Manuel

2012-01-01

Plant carotenoids are a family of pigments that participate in light harvesting and are essential for photoprotection against excess light. Furthermore, they act as precursors for the production of apocarotenoid hormones such as abscisic acid and strigolactones. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the genes and enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway (which is now almost completely elucidated) and on the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. We also discuss the relevance of Arabidopsis as a model system for the study of carotenogenesis and how metabolic engineering approaches in this plant have taught important lessons for carotenoid biotechnology. PMID:22582030

Erythro-Myeloid Progenitors: “definitive” hematopoiesis in the conceptus prior to the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells

PubMed Central

Frame, Jenna M.; McGrath, Kathleen E.; Palis, James

2013-01-01

Erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMP) serve as a major source of hematopoiesis in the developing conceptus prior to the formation of a permanent blood system. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the emergence, fate, and potential of this hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-independent wave of hematopoietic progenitors, focusing on the murine embryo as a model system. A better understanding of the temporal and spatial control of hematopoietic emergence in the embryo will ultimately improve our ability to derive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells to serve therapeutic purposes. PMID:24095199

Inflammation and immunity in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

PubMed

Rabinovitch, Marlene; Guignabert, Christophe; Humbert, Marc; Nicolls, Mark R

2014-06-20

This review summarizes an expanding body of knowledge indicating that failure to resolve inflammation and altered immune processes underlie the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The chemokines and cytokines implicated in pulmonary arterial hypertension that could form a biomarker platform are discussed. Pre-clinical studies that provide the basis for dysregulated immunity in animal models of the disease are reviewed. In addition, we present therapies that target inflammatory/immune mechanisms that are currently enrolling patients, and discuss others in development. We show how genetic and metabolic abnormalities are inextricably linked to dysregulated immunity and adverse remodeling in the pulmonary arteries. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Mechanisms of leukemogenesis induced by bovine leukemia virus: prospects for novel anti-retroviral therapies in human

PubMed Central

Gillet, Nicolas; Florins, Arnaud; Boxus, Mathieu; Burteau, Catherine; Nigro, Annamaria; Vandermeers, Fabian; Balon, Hervé; Bouzar, Amel-Baya; Defoiche, Julien; Burny, Arsène; Reichert, Michal; Kettmann, Richard; Willems, Luc

2007-01-01

In 1871, the observation of yellowish nodules in the enlarged spleen of a cow was considered to be the first reported case of bovine leukemia. The etiological agent of this lymphoproliferative disease, bovine leukemia virus (BLV), belongs to the deltaretrovirus genus which also includes the related human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1). This review summarizes current knowledge of this viral system, which is important as a model for leukemogenesis. Recently, the BLV model has also cast light onto novel prospects for therapies of HTLV induced diseases, for which no satisfactory treatment exists so far. PMID:17362524

[RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1), a DNA helicase essential for genome stability].

PubMed

Le Guen, Tangui; Jullien, Laurent; Schertzer, Mike; Lefebvre, Axelle; Kermasson, Laetitia; de Villartay, Jean-Pierre; Londoño-Vallejo, Arturo; Revy, Patrick

2013-12-01

RTEL1 (regulator of telomere length helicase 1) is a DNA helicase that has been identified more than 10 years ago. Many works since, mainly in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and the mouse, have highlighted its role in chromosomal stability, maintenance of telomere length, and DNA repair. Recently, four laboratories have characterized RTEL1 mutations in patients with dyskeratosis congenita (DC) and Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson (HH) syndrome, a rare and severe variant of DC. We here summarize the current knowledge on RTEL1 and discuss the possible other functions that RTEL1 could play. © 2013 médecine/sciences – Inserm.

The metabolism of structured triacylglycerols.

PubMed

Mu, Huiling; Porsgaard, Trine

2005-11-01

The triacylglycerol (TAG) structure in addition to the overall fatty acid profile is of importance when considering the nutritional effect of a dietary fat. This review aims at summarizing our current knowledge of the digestion, absorption, uptake, and transport of structured TAGs, with particular emphasis on the following aspects: gastric emptying, specificity of pancreatic lipase, lymphatic transport and clearance of chylomicrons, effects of lipid structure on tissue lipid compositions and the fecal loss of fats. So an overview will be provided for how the structure and fatty acid composition of TAGs affect their absorption and the distribution of the fatty acids in the body following digestion and absorption.

Efficient Results in Semantic Interoperability for Health Care. Findings from the Section on Knowledge Representation and Management.

PubMed

Soualmia, L F; Charlet, J

2016-11-10

To summarize excellent current research in the field of Knowledge Representation and Management (KRM) within the health and medical care domain. We provide a synopsis of the 2016 IMIA selected articles as well as a related synthetic overview of the current and future field activities. A first step of the selection was performed through MEDLINE querying with a list of MeSH descriptors completed by a list of terms adapted to the KRM section. The second step of the selection was completed by the two section editors who separately evaluated the set of 1,432 articles. The third step of the selection consisted of a collective work that merged the evaluation results to retain 15 articles for peer-review. The selection and evaluation process of this Yearbook's section on Knowledge Representation and Management has yielded four excellent and interesting articles regarding semantic interoperability for health care by gathering heterogeneous sources (knowledge and data) and auditing ontologies. In the first article, the authors present a solution based on standards and Semantic Web technologies to access distributed and heterogeneous datasets in the domain of breast cancer clinical trials. The second article describes a knowledge-based recommendation system that relies on ontologies and Semantic Web rules in the context of chronic diseases dietary. The third article is related to concept-recognition and text-mining to derive common human diseases model and a phenotypic network of common diseases. In the fourth article, the authors highlight the need for auditing the SNOMED CT. They propose to use a crowdbased method for ontology engineering. The current research activities further illustrate the continuous convergence of Knowledge Representation and Medical Informatics, with a focus this year on dedicated tools and methods to advance clinical care by proposing solutions to cope with the problem of semantic interoperability. Indeed, there is a need for powerful tools able to manage and interpret complex, large-scale and distributed datasets and knowledge bases, but also a need for user-friendly tools developed for the clinicians in their daily practice.

Neural Mechanisms for Integrating Prior Knowledge and Likelihood in Value-Based Probabilistic Inference

PubMed Central

Ting, Chih-Chung; Yu, Chia-Chen; Maloney, Laurence T.

2015-01-01

In Bayesian decision theory, knowledge about the probabilities of possible outcomes is captured by a prior distribution and a likelihood function. The prior reflects past knowledge and the likelihood summarizes current sensory information. The two combined (integrated) form a posterior distribution that allows estimation of the probability of different possible outcomes. In this study, we investigated the neural mechanisms underlying Bayesian integration using a novel lottery decision task in which both prior knowledge and likelihood information about reward probability were systematically manipulated on a trial-by-trial basis. Consistent with Bayesian integration, as sample size increased, subjects tended to weigh likelihood information more compared with prior information. Using fMRI in humans, we found that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) correlated with the mean of the posterior distribution, a statistic that reflects the integration of prior knowledge and likelihood of reward probability. Subsequent analysis revealed that both prior and likelihood information were represented in mPFC and that the neural representations of prior and likelihood in mPFC reflected changes in the behaviorally estimated weights assigned to these different sources of information in response to changes in the environment. Together, these results establish the role of mPFC in prior-likelihood integration and highlight its involvement in representing and integrating these distinct sources of information. PMID:25632152

Prior Knowledge and Story Processing: Integration, Selection, and Variation. Technical Report No. 138.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiro, Rand J.

Psychological research concerning several aspects of the relationship between existing knowledge schemata and the processing of text is summarized in this report. The first section is concerned with dynamic processes of story understanding, with emphasis on the integration of information. The role of prior knowledge in accommodating parts of…

Knowledge and Health Practices of High School Students with Respect to Heart Disease Risk Factors--A Pilot Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oswald, Marianne T.; And Others

1980-01-01

Examines questionnaire responses of ninth- and twelfth-grade students to investigate the level of knowledge possessed by high school students concerning cardiovascular disease. Results are summarized of student knowledge pertaining to personal life-style associated with smoking, obesity, exercise, and dietary habits. (CS)

Evaluation of an automated knowledge-based textual summarization system for longitudinal clinical data, in the intensive care domain.

PubMed

Goldstein, Ayelet; Shahar, Yuval; Orenbuch, Efrat; Cohen, Matan J

2017-10-01

To examine the feasibility of the automated creation of meaningful free-text summaries of longitudinal clinical records, using a new general methodology that we had recently developed; and to assess the potential benefits to the clinical decision-making process of using such a method to generate draft letters that can be further manually enhanced by clinicians. We had previously developed a system, CliniText (CTXT), for automated summarization in free text of longitudinal medical records, using a clinical knowledge base. In the current study, we created an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) clinical knowledge base, assisted by two ICU clinical experts in an academic tertiary hospital. The CTXT system generated free-text summary letters from the data of 31 different patients, which were compared to the respective original physician-composed discharge letters. The main evaluation measures were (1) relative completeness, quantifying the data items missed by one of the letters but included by the other, and their importance; (2) quality parameters, such as readability; (3) functional performance, assessed by the time needed, by three clinicians reading each of the summaries, to answer five key questions, based on the discharge letter (e.g., "What are the patient's current respiratory requirements?"), and by the correctness of the clinicians' answers. Completeness: In 13/31 (42%) of the letters the number of important items missed in the CTXT-generated letter was actually less than or equal to the number of important items missed by the MD-composed letter. In each of the MD-composed letters, at least two important items that were mentioned by the CTXT system were missed (a mean of 7.2±5.74). In addition, the standard deviation in the number of missed items in the MD letters (STD=15.4) was much higher than the standard deviation in the CTXT-generated letters (STD=5.3). Quality: The MD-composed letters obtained a significantly better grade in three out of four measured parameters. However, the standard variation in the quality of the MD-composed letters was much greater than the standard variation in the quality of the CTXT-generated letters (STD=6.25 vs. STD=2.57, respectively). Functional evaluation: The clinicians answered the five questions on average 40% faster (p<0.001) when using the CTXT-generated letters than when using the MD-composed letters. In four out of the five questions the clinicians' correctness was equal to or significantly better (p<0.005) when using the CTXT-generated letters than when using the MD-composed letters. An automatic knowledge-based summarization system, such as the CTXT system, has the capability to model complex clinical domains, such as the ICU, and to support interpretation and summarization tasks such as the creation of a discharge summary letter. Based on the results, we suggest that the use of such systems could potentially enhance the standardization of the letters, significantly increase their completeness, and reduce the time to write the discharge summary. The results also suggest that using the resultant structured letters might reduce the decision time, and enhance the decision quality, of decisions made by other clinicians. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Green Chemistry Metrics with Special Reference to Green Analytical Chemistry.

PubMed

Tobiszewski, Marek; Marć, Mariusz; Gałuszka, Agnieszka; Namieśnik, Jacek

2015-06-12

The concept of green chemistry is widely recognized in chemical laboratories. To properly measure an environmental impact of chemical processes, dedicated assessment tools are required. This paper summarizes the current state of knowledge in the field of development of green chemistry and green analytical chemistry metrics. The diverse methods used for evaluation of the greenness of organic synthesis, such as eco-footprint, E-Factor, EATOS, and Eco-Scale are described. Both the well-established and recently developed green analytical chemistry metrics, including NEMI labeling and analytical Eco-scale, are presented. Additionally, this paper focuses on the possibility of the use of multivariate statistics in evaluation of environmental impact of analytical procedures. All the above metrics are compared and discussed in terms of their advantages and disadvantages. The current needs and future perspectives in green chemistry metrics are also discussed.

Postural Control Impairments in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Critical Review of Current Literature

PubMed Central

Memari, Amir Hossein; Ghanouni, Parisa; Shayestehfar, Monir; Ghaheri, Banafsheh

2014-01-01

Context: Motor impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been frequently reported. In this review, we narrow our focus on postural control impairments to summarize current literature for patterns, underlying mechanisms, and determinants of posture in this population. Evidence Acquisition: A literature search was conducted through Medline, ISI web of Knowledge, Scopus and Google Scholar to include studies between 1992 and February 2013. Results: Individuals with ASD have problems in maintaining postural control in infancy that well persists into later years. However, the patterns and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Conclusions: Examining postural control as an endophenotype or early diagnostic marker of autism is a conceptual premise which should be considered in future investigations. At the end of the review, methodological recommendations on the assessment of postural control have also been provided. PMID:25520765

Dementia resulting from traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Ramalho, Joana; Castillo, Mauricio

2015-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) represents a significant public health problem in modern societies. It is primarily a consequence of traffic-related accidents and falls. Other recently recognized causes include sports injuries and indirect forces such as shock waves from battlefield explosions. TBI is an important cause of death and lifelong disability and represents the most well-established environmental risk factor for dementia. With the growing recognition that even mild head injury can lead to neurocognitive deficits, imaging of brain injury has assumed greater importance. However, there is no single imaging modality capable of characterizing TBI. Current advances, particularly in MR imaging, enable visualization and quantification of structural and functional brain changes not hitherto possible. In this review, we summarize data linking TBI with dementia, emphasizing the imaging techniques currently available in clinical practice along with some advances in medical knowledge. PMID:29213985

The Vredefort Dome: Review of geology and deformation phenomena and status report on current knowledge and remaining problematics (five years after the cryptoexplosion workshop)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reimold, W. U.

1992-01-01

The Vredefort structure located in the center of the Witwatersrand basin in South Africa and the Sudbury structure in Canada are widely considered the two oldest and largest impact structures still evident on Earth. Both structures are very similar in a number of geological aspects (e.g., association with major economic ore deposits, similar ages of ca. 2 Ga, abundant pseudotachylite as well as shatter cone occurrences, overturned collar). However, whereas the geological community generally accepts an impact origin for the Sudbury structure, a number of researchers are still reluctant to accept this for the Vredefort Dome. Therefore, the aim of this review is to present new data, highlight the most obvious shortcomings in the current database, and to summarize the major arguments in the genetic controversy.

Long Non-coding RNAs and Their Biological Roles in Plants

PubMed Central

Liu, Xue; Hao, Lili; Li, Dayong; Zhu, Lihuang; Hu, Songnian

2015-01-01

With the development of genomics and bioinformatics, especially the extensive applications of high-throughput sequencing technology, more transcriptional units with little or no protein-coding potential have been discovered. Such RNA molecules are called non-protein-coding RNAs (npcRNAs or ncRNAs). Among them, long npcRNAs or ncRNAs (lnpcRNAs or lncRNAs) represent diverse classes of transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. In recent years, the lncRNAs have been considered as important regulators in many essential biological processes. In plants, although a large number of lncRNA transcripts have been predicted and identified in few species, our current knowledge of their biological functions is still limited. Here, we have summarized recent studies on their identification, characteristics, classification, bioinformatics, resources, and current exploration of their biological functions in plants. PMID:25936895

Circular Bacteriocins: Biosynthesis and Mode of Action

PubMed Central

Brede, Dag A.; Nes, Ingolf F.; Diep, Dzung B.

2014-01-01

Circular bacteriocins are a group of N-to-C-terminally linked antimicrobial peptides, produced by Gram-positive bacteria of the phylum Firmicutes. Circular bacteriocins generally exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including against common food-borne pathogens, such as Clostridium and Listeria spp. These peptides are further known for their high pH and thermal stability, as well as for resistance to many proteolytic enzymes, properties which make this group of bacteriocins highly promising for potential industrial applications and their biosynthesis of particular interest as a possible model system for the synthesis of highly stable bioactive peptides. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on this group of bacteriocins, with emphasis on the recent progress in understanding circular bacteriocin genetics, biosynthesis, and mode of action; in addition, we highlight the current challenges and future perspectives for the application of these peptides. PMID:25172850

The future of tic disorder treatment.

PubMed

Bennett, Shannon M; Keller, Alex E; Walkup, John T

2013-11-01

Competing theories on the etiology and treatment of chronic tic disorders and Tourette syndrome have long made the search for efficacious intervention more challenging for patients and families seeking to reduce functional impairment related to tic symptoms. These symptoms were historically posited to be either psychological in origin, leading to the long tradition of psychoanalytic psychotherapy for tics, or biological in nature, particularly since the advent of successful treatments using neuroleptic medications. Current thinking about the phenomenology of tic disorders comes from growing empirical evidence as well as advances in neuroscience and genetics research and reveals a biological vulnerability that is exacerbated by physiological arousal related to environmental or interpersonal stress. This manuscript summarizes the evolution of this knowledge base and describes current best-practice recommendations for patients, families, and clinicians. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

[Current insights about recurrence of glomerular diseases after renal transplantation].

PubMed

Kofman, Tomek; Oniszczuk, Julie; Lang, Philippe; Grimbert, Philippe; Audard, Vincent

2018-05-01

Recurrence of glomerular disease after renal transplantation is a frequent cause of graft loss. Incidence, risk factors and outcome of recurrence are widely due to the underlying glomerular disease. Graft biopsy analysis is required to confirm the definitive diagnosis of recurrence and to start an appropriate therapy that, in some cases, remains challenging to prevent graft failure. Increased use of protocol biopsy and recent advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis of some glomerular diseases with the identification of some relevant biomarkers provide a unique opportunity to initiate kidney-protective therapy at early stages of recurrence on the graft. This review summarizes our current knowledge on the management of many recurrent primary and secondary glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation. Copyright © 2018 Société francophone de néphrologie, dialyse et transplantation. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Current knowledge of the roles of ghrelin in regulating food intake and energy balance in birds.

PubMed

Kaiya, Hiroyuki; Furuse, Mitsuhiro; Miyazato, Mikiya; Kangawa, Kenji

2009-09-01

A decade has passed since the peptide hormone ghrelin was first discovered in rat stomach. During this period, ghrelin has been identified not only in other mammals but also in fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds, and its physiological functions have been widely investigated. Avian ghrelin was first identified in chickens in 2002 and to date, the amino acid sequences of six different avian ghrelin peptides have been reported. In mammals, ghrelin is the only known gut-derived hormone to stimulate food intake when administered centrally or peripherally. In studies on chickens and quail, however, ghrelin inhibits food intake when injected centrally, while the effects on feeding behavior elicited by ghrelin injected peripherally are equivocal. This review summarizes what is currently known about the regulation of food intake and energy balance by ghrelin in birds.

A combined park management framework based on regulatory and behavioral strategies: use of visitors' knowledge to assess effectiveness.

PubMed

Papageorgiou, K

2001-07-01

In light of the increasing mandate for greater efficiency in conservation of natural reserves such as national parks, the present study suggests educational approaches as a tool to achieve conservation purposes. Currently, the management of human-wildlife interactions is dominated by regulatory strategies, but considerable potential exists for environmental education to enhance knowledge in the short run and to prompt attitude change in the long run. A framework for conservation based on both traditional regulatory- and behavior-oriented strategies was proposed whereby the level of knowledge that park visitors have acquired comprises an obvious outcome and establishes a basis upon which the effectiveness of regulatory- and behavior-based regimes could be assessed. The perceptions regarding park-related issues of two distinct visitor groups (locals and nonlocals) are summarized from a survey undertaken in Vikos-Aoos national park. The findings suggest a superficial knowledge for certain concepts but little profound understanding of the content of such concepts, indicating that knowledge-raising efforts should go a long way towards establishing a positive attitude for the resource. Visitors' poor knowledge of the park's operation regulation contest the efficiency of the presently dominant regulatory management regime. While geographical distances did not appear to significantly differentiate knowledge between the two groups, wilderness experience (as certified by visits to other parks) was proved to be an impetus for generating substantial learner interest in critical park issues among nonlocal visitors. School education and media were found to be significant knowledge providers.

Turning Search into Knowledge Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, David

2002-01-01

Discussion of knowledge management for electronic data focuses on creating a high quality similarity ranking algorithm. Topics include similarity ranking and unstructured data management; searching, categorization, and summarization of documents; query evaluation; considering sentences in addition to keywords; and vector models. (LRW)

Integrating movement in academic classrooms: understanding, applying and advancing the knowledge base.

PubMed

Webster, C A; Russ, L; Vazou, S; Goh, T L; Erwin, H

2015-08-01

In the context of comprehensive and coordinated approaches to school health, academic classrooms have gained attention as a promising setting for increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time among children. The aims of this paper are to review the rationale and knowledge base related to movement integration in academic classrooms, consider the practical applications of current knowledge to interventions and teacher education, and suggest directions for future research. Specifically, this paper (i) situates movement integration amid policy and research related to children's health and the school as a health-promoting environment; (ii) highlights the benefits of movement integration; (iii) summarizes movement integration programs and interventions; (iv) examines factors associated with classroom teachers' movement integration; (v) offers strategies for translating research to practice and (vi) forwards recommendations for future inquiry related to the effectiveness and sustainability of efforts to integrate movement into classroom routines. This paper provides a comprehensive resource for developing state-of-the-art initiatives to maximize children's movement in academic classrooms as a key strategy for important goals in both education and public health. © 2015 World Obesity.

Getting it right [Editorial

Treesearch

William M. Block

2007-01-01

Manuscripts contain a vast amount of information. Some of this information summarizes the state-of-knowledge and sets the stage for the paper. Other information presents data and summarizes analysis. Lastly, results are interpreted in the form of a discussion and management implications. Although a number of checks in the review and editorial processes catch errors...

Acute respiratory infection and pneumonia in India: a systematic review of literature for advocacy and action: UNICEF-PHFI series on newborn and child health, India.

PubMed

Mathew, Joseph L; Patwari, Ashok K; Gupta, Piyush; Shah, Dheeraj; Gera, Tarun; Gogia, Siddhartha; Mohan, Pavitra; Panda, Rajmohan; Menon, Subhadra

2011-03-01

Scaling up of evidence based management of childhood acute respiratory infection/pneumonia, is a public health priority in India, and necessitates robust literature review, for advocacy and action. To identify, synthesize and summarize current evidence to guide scaling up of management of childhood acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in India, and identify existing knowledge gaps. A set of ten questions pertaining to the management (prevention, treatment, and control) of childhood ARI/pneumonia was identified through a consultative process. A modified systematic review process developed a priori was used to identify, synthesize and summarize, research evidence and operational information, pertaining to the problem in India. Areas with limited or no evidence were identified as knowledge gaps. Childhood ARI/pneumonia is a significant public health problem in India, although robust epidemiological data is not available on its incidence. Mortality due to pneumonia accounts for approximately one-fourth of the total deaths in under five children, in India. Pneumonia affects children irrespective of socioeconomic status; with higher risk among young infants, malnourished children, non-exclusively breastfed children and those with exposure to solid fuel use. There is lack of robust nation-wide data on etiology; bacteria (including Pneumococcus, H. influenzae, S. aureus and Gram negative bacilli), viruses (especially RSV) and Mycoplasma, are the common organisms identified. In-vitro resistance to cotrimoxazole is high. Wheezing is commonly associated with ARI/pneumonia in children, but difficult to appreciate without auscultation. The current WHO guidelines as modified by IndiaCLEN Task force on Penumonia (2010), are sufficient for case-management of childhood pneumonia. Other important interventions to prevent mortality are oxygen therapy for those with severe or very severe pneumonia and measles vaccination for all infants. There is insufficient evidence for protective or curative effect of vitamin A; zinc supplementation could be beneficial to prevent pneumonia, although it has no therapeutic benefit. There is insufficient evidence on potential effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of Hib and Pneumococcal vaccines on reduction of ARI specific mortality. Case-finding and community-based management are effective management strategies, but have low coverage in India due to policy and programmatic barriers. There is a significant gap in the utilization of existing services, provider practices as well as family practices in seeking care. The systematic review summarizes current evidence on childhood ARI and pneumonia management and provides evidence to inform child health programs in India.

Potassium currents in the heart: functional roles in repolarization, arrhythmia and therapeutics.

PubMed

Chiamvimonvat, Nipavan; Chen-Izu, Ye; Clancy, Colleen E; Deschenes, Isabelle; Dobrev, Dobromir; Heijman, Jordi; Izu, Leighton; Qu, Zhilin; Ripplinger, Crystal M; Vandenberg, Jamie I; Weiss, James N; Koren, Gideon; Banyasz, Tamas; Grandi, Eleonora; Sanguinetti, Michael C; Bers, Donald M; Nerbonne, Jeanne M

2017-04-01

This is the second of the two White Papers from the fourth UC Davis Cardiovascular Symposium Systems Approach to Understanding Cardiac Excitation-Contraction Coupling and Arrhythmias (3-4 March 2016), a biennial event that brings together leading experts in different fields of cardiovascular research. The theme of the 2016 symposium was 'K + channels and regulation', and the objectives of the conference were severalfold: (1) to identify current knowledge gaps; (2) to understand what may go wrong in the diseased heart and why; (3) to identify possible novel therapeutic targets; and (4) to further the development of systems biology approaches to decipher the molecular mechanisms and treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The sessions of the Symposium focusing on the functional roles of the cardiac K + channel in health and disease, as well as K + channels as therapeutic targets, were contributed by Ye Chen-Izu, Gideon Koren, James Weiss, David Paterson, David Christini, Dobromir Dobrev, Jordi Heijman, Thomas O'Hara, Crystal Ripplinger, Zhilin Qu, Jamie Vandenberg, Colleen Clancy, Isabelle Deschenes, Leighton Izu, Tamas Banyasz, Andras Varro, Heike Wulff, Eleonora Grandi, Michael Sanguinetti, Donald Bers, Jeanne Nerbonne and Nipavan Chiamvimonvat as speakers and panel discussants. This article summarizes state-of-the-art knowledge and controversies on the functional roles of cardiac K + channels in normal and diseased heart. We endeavour to integrate current knowledge at multiple scales, from the single cell to the whole organ levels, and from both experimental and computational studies. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

For You and Your Baby (4YYB): Adapting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Text4Baby Program for Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Bahanshal, Soha; Coughlin, Steven; Liu, Benyuan

2017-02-28

Poor birth outcomes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have been found to be partially due to missed prenatal appointments as well as lack of knowledge of healthy pregnancy behaviors. The objectives are to summarize birth outcomes and the antenatal care system in KSA, summarize research related to the US Text4Baby mobile health program, and outline the development of an Arabic version of the Text4baby app, For You and Your Baby (4YYB). First, birth outcomes, health care access, and smartphone usage among Saudi Arabian women are reviewed. Next, the current evidence behind Text4Baby is described. Finally, a plan to develop and test 4YYB is proposed. In the plan, studies will need to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of 4YYB in educating pregnant Saudi women on healthy knowledge and behaviors. This will create an evidence base behind 4YYB before it is launched as a full-scale public health effort in KSA. The KSA offers public medical services but remaining challenges include poor birth outcomes and health care access barriers. An estimated 73% to 84% of Saudi women of child-bearing age use smartphone social media apps. A total of 13 published articles on Text4Baby were identified and reviewed. Due to design limitations, the studies provide only limited evidence about the effectiveness of the program in increasing healthy pregnancy knowledge and behaviors. To be useful for Saudi women, the educational messages in 4YYB will need to be translated from English to Arabic and tailored for cultural norms. Developing the 4YYB Arabic-language app for use by pregnant Saudi Arabian women based on Text4Baby is a viable approach, but a rigorous study design is needed to determine its effectiveness in improving healthy pregnancy knowledge and behaviors. ©Soha Bahanshal, Steven Coughlin, Benyuan Liu. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 28.02.2017.

Mixed-phenotype acute leukemia: state-of-the-art of the diagnosis, classification and treatment.

PubMed

Cernan, Martin; Szotkowski, Tomas; Pikalova, Zuzana

2017-09-01

Mixed-phenotype acute leukemia (MPAL) is a heterogeneous group of hematopoietic malignancies in which blasts show markers of multiple developmental lineages and cannot be clearly classified as acute myeloid or lymphoblastic leukemias. Historically, various names and classifications were used for this rare entity accounting for 2-5% of all acute leukemias depending on the diagnostic criterias used. The currently valid classification of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemia published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 refers to this group of diseases as MPAL. Because adverse cytogenetic abnormalities are frequently present, MPAL is generally considered a disease with a poor prognosis. Knowledge of its treatment is limited to retrospective analyses of small patient cohorts. So far, no treatment recommendations verified by prospective studies have been published. The reported data suggest that induction therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia followed by allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is more effective than induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia or consolidation chemotherapy. The establishment of cooperative groups and international registries based on the recent WHO criterias are required to ensure further progress in understanding and treatment of MPAL. This review summarizes current knowledge on the diagnosis, classification, prognosis and treatment of MPAL patients.

Fire and aquatic ecosystems of the western USA: Current knowledge and key questions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bisson, P.A.; Rieman, B.; Luce, C.; Hessburg, Paul F.; Lee, D.; Kershner, J.; Reeves, G.H.; Gresswell, Robert E.

2003-01-01

Understanding of the effects of wildland fire and fire management on aquatic and riparian ecosystems is an evolving field, with many questions still to be resolved. Limitations of current knowledge, and the certainty that fire management will continue, underscore the need to summarize available information. Integrating fire and fuels management with aquatic ecosystem conservation begins with recognizing that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are linked and dynamic, and that fire can play a critical role in maintaining aquatic ecological diversity. To protect aquatic ecosystems we argue that it will be important to: (1) accommodate fire-related and other ecological processes that maintain aquatic habitats and biodiversity, and not simply control fires or fuels; (2) prioritize projects according to risks and opportunities for fire control and the protection of aquatic ecosystems; and (3) develop new consistency in the management and regulatory process. Ultimately, all natural resource management is uncertain; the role of science is to apply experimental design and hypothesis testing to management applications that affect fire and aquatic ecosystems. Policy-makers and the public will benefit from an expanded appreciation of fire ecology that enables them to implement watershed management projects as experiments with hypothesized outcomes, adequate controls, and replication.

Photocatalytic effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on aquatic organisms-Current knowledge and suggestions for future research.

PubMed

Haynes, Vena N; Ward, J Evan; Russell, Brandon J; Agrios, Alexander G

2017-04-01

Nanoparticles are entering natural systems through product usage, industrial waste and post-consumer material degradation. As the production of nanoparticles is expected to increase in the next decade, so too are predicted environmental loads. Engineered metal-oxide nanomaterials, such as titanium dioxide, are known for their photocatalytic capabilities. When these nanoparticles are exposed to ultraviolet radiation in the environment, however, they can produce radicals that are harmful to aquatic organisms. There have been a number of studies that have reported the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the absence of light. An increasing number of studies are assessing the interactive effects of nanoparticles and ultraviolet light. However, most of these studies neglect environmentally-relevant experimental conditions. For example, researchers are using nanoparticle concentrations and light intensities that are too high for natural systems, and are ignoring water constituents that can alter the light field. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge of the photocatalytic effects of TiO 2 nanoparticles on aquatic organisms, discuss the limitations of these studies, and outline environmentally-relevant factors that need to be considered in future experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Radiological Operations Support Specialist (ROSS) Pilot Course Summary and Recommendations

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

Alai, M.; Askin, A.; Buddemeier, B.

In support of the Department of Homeland Security / Science and Technology Directorate’s (DHS/S&T) creation of a new position called the Radiological Operations Support Specialist (ROSS), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Sub-task 1.1 and 1.2 has assisted in the development of the ROSS skills, knowledge, and abilities (SKAs); identified potentially relevant training; cross-mapped the training to the SKAs; and identified gaps in the training related to the SKAs, as well as their respective level of training knowledge - current versus desired. In the follow on task, Sub-task 1.3, a 5 day ROSS Pilot Training course was developed to fillmore » the priority gaps identified in Sub-Task 1.2. Additionally, in Sub-Task 1.5, LLNL has performed a gap analysis of electronic tools, handbooks, and job-aides currently available to the ROSS and developed recommendations for additional and next generation tools to ensure the operational effectiveness of the ROSS position. This document summarizes the feedback received from the instructors and pilot course observers on what worked in the course and what could be improved as well as an assessment of the Pre- and Post-Test administered to the students.« less

Designing exercise clinical trials for older adults with cancer: Recommendations from 2015 Cancer and Aging Research Group NCI U13 Meeting.

PubMed

Kilari, Deepak; Soto-Perez-de-Celis, Enrique; Mohile, Supriya Gupta; Alibhai, Shabbir M H; Presley, Carolyn J; Wildes, Tanya M; Klepin, Heidi D; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Jatoi, Amina; Harrison, Robert; Won, Elizabeth; Mustian, Karen M

2016-07-01

Cancer and its treatment can lead to a myriad of adverse events and negatively impact quality of life of older cancer patients and survivors. Unmet physical activity needs vary across the cancer continuum and remain an important yet understudied area of research in this population. Exercise interventions have been shown to be effective in treating both the physical and psychological declines associated with cancer and its treatment, with a potential to improve cancer-related outcomes. Despite the current evidence, exercise is clearly underutilized due to several barriers and knowledge gaps in existing trials that include appropriate population identification, design, and outcome measures selection. The benefits of regular exercise in both the primary and secondary prevention of chronic conditions are well established in the non-cancer population. In older cancer patients and survivors, further research is needed before exercise gains widespread acceptance. The Cancer and Aging Research Group convened experts in exercise, aging and cancer to evaluate current scientific evidence and knowledge gaps in geriatric exercise oncology. This report summarizes these findings and provides future research directions. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Molecular Age-Related Changes in the Anterior Segment of the Eye.

PubMed

Hernandez-Zimbron, Luis Fernando; Gulias-Cañizo, Rosario; Golzarri, María F; Martínez-Báez, Blanca Elizabeth; Quiroz-Mercado, Hugo; Gonzalez-Salinas, Roberto

2017-01-01

To examine the current knowledge about the age-related processes in the anterior segment of the eye at a biological, clinical, and molecular level. We reviewed the available published literature that addresses the aging process of the anterior segment of the eye and its associated molecular and physiological events. We performed a search on PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase using the MeSH terms "eye," "anterior segment," and "age." We generated searches to account for synonyms of these keywords and MESH headings as follows: (1) "Eye" AND "ageing process" OR "anterior segment ageing" and (2) "Anterior segment" AND "ageing process" OR "anterior segment" AND "molecular changes" AND "age." Results . Among the principal causes of age-dependent alterations in the anterior segment of the eye, we found the mutation of the TGF- β gene and loss of autophagy in addition to oxidative stress, which contributes to the pathogenesis of degenerative diseases. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding some of the molecular mechanisms related to aging in the anterior segment of the eye. We also introduce and propose potential roles of autophagy, an important mechanism responsible for maintaining homeostasis and proteostasis under stress conditions in the anterior segment during aging.

Thrips advisor: exploiting thrips-induced defences to combat pests on crops.

PubMed

Steenbergen, Merel; Abd-El-Haliem, Ahmed; Bleeker, Petra; Dicke, Marcel; Escobar-Bravo, Rocio; Cheng, Gang; Haring, Michel A; Kant, Merijn R; Kappers, Iris; Klinkhamer, Peter G L; Leiss, Kirsten A; Legarrea, Saioa; Macel, Mirka; Mouden, Sanae; Pieterse, Corné M J; Sarde, Sandeep J; Schuurink, Robert C; De Vos, Martin; Van Wees, Saskia C M; Broekgaarden, Colette

2018-04-09

Plants have developed diverse defence mechanisms to ward off herbivorous pests. However, agriculture still faces estimated crop yield losses ranging from 25% to 40% annually. These losses arise not only because of direct feeding damage, but also because many pests serve as vectors of plant viruses. Herbivorous thrips (Thysanoptera) are important pests of vegetable and ornamental crops worldwide, and encompass virtually all general problems of pests: they are highly polyphagous, hard to control because of their complex lifestyle, and they are vectors of destructive viruses. Currently, control management of thrips mainly relies on the use of chemical pesticides. However, thrips rapidly develop resistance to these pesticides. With the rising demand for more sustainable, safer, and healthier food production systems, we urgently need to pinpoint the gaps in knowledge of plant defences against thrips to enable the future development of novel control methods. In this review, we summarize the current, rather scarce, knowledge of thrips-induced plant responses and the role of phytohormonal signalling and chemical defences in these responses. We describe concrete opportunities for breeding resistance against pests such as thrips as a prototype approach for next-generation resistance breeding.

Current knowledge of microRNA-mediated regulation of drug metabolism in humans.

PubMed

Nakano, Masataka; Nakajima, Miki

2018-05-01

Understanding the factors causing inter- and intra-individual differences in drug metabolism potencies is required for the practice of personalized or precision medicine, as well as for the promotion of efficient drug development. The expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes is controlled by transcriptional regulation by nuclear receptors and transcriptional factors, epigenetic regulation, such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation, and post-translational modification. In addition to such regulation mechanisms, recent studies revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs), endogenous ~22-nucleotide non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression through the translational repression and degradation of mRNAs, significantly contribute to post-transcriptional regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Areas covered: This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding miRNAs-dependent regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transcriptional factors and its physiological and clinical significance. We also describe recent advances in miRNA-dependent regulation research, showing that the presence of pseudogenes, single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and RNA editing affects miRNA targeting. Expert opinion: It is unwavering fact that miRNAs are critical factors causing inter- and intra-individual differences in the expression of drug-metabolizing enzymes. Consideration of miRNA-dependent regulation would be a helpful tool for optimizing personalized and precision medicine.

Applications and safety considerations of Lactobacillus salivarius as a probiotic in animal and human health.

PubMed

Chaves, B D; Brashears, M M; Nightingale, K K

2017-03-03

The goals of this review are to summarize the current knowledge on the application of Lactobacillus salivarius as a probiotic in animals and humans, and to address safety concerns with its use on live hosts. Overall, several strains of L. salivarius are well established probiotics with multiple applications in animal health, particularly to reduce colonization by gastrointestinal pathogens, and to a lesser extent, as a production and quality aid. In humans, L. salivarius has been used to prevent and treat a variety of chronic diseases, including asthma, cancer, atopic dermatitis and halitosis, and to a much limited extent, to prevent or treat infections. Based on the results from primary research evidence, it seems that L. salivarius does not pose a health risk to animals or humans in the doses currently used for a variety of applications; however, there is a systematic lack of studies assuring the safety of many of the strains intended for clinical use. This review provides researchers in the field with up-to-date information regarding applications and safety of L. salivarius. Furthermore, it helps researchers identify knowledge gaps and potential opportunities for microbiological and clinical research. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Overcoming Language and Literacy Barriers in Safety and Health Training of Agricultural Workers

PubMed Central

Arcury, Thomas A.; Estrada, Jorge M.; Quandt, Sara A.

2010-01-01

The workforce in all areas of United States agriculture and forestry is becoming increasingly diverse in language, culture, and education. Many agricultural workers are immigrants who have limited English language skills and limited educational attainment. Providing safety and health training to this large, diverse, dispersed, and often transient population of workers is challenging. This review, prepared for the 2010 Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health conference, “Be Safe, Be Profitable: Protecting Workers in Agriculture,” is divided into five sections. First, we describe the occupational and demographic characteristics of agricultural workers in the US to highlight their safety and health training needs. Second, we summarize current research on the social and cultural attributes of agricultural workers and agricultural employers that affect the provision of safety and health training. Worker and employer attributes include language, literacy, financial limitations, work beliefs, and health beliefs. Third, we review current initiatives addressing safety and health training for agricultural workers that consider worker language and literacy. These initiatives are limited to a few specific topics (e.g., pesticides, heat stress); they do not provide general programs of safety training that would help establish a culture of workplace safety. However, several innovative approaches to health and safety training are being implemented, including the use of community-based participatory approaches and lay health promoter programs. Fourth, the limited industry response for safety training with this linguistically diverse and educationally limited workforce is summarized. Finally, gaps in knowledge and practice are summarized and recommendations to develop educationally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate safety and health training are presented. PMID:20665309

Protocol of a scoping review on knowledge translation competencies.

PubMed

Mallidou, Anastasia A; Atherton, Pat; Chan, Liza; Frisch, Noreen; Glegg, Stephanie; Scarrow, Gayle

2017-05-02

Knowledge translation (KT) activities can reduce the gap between "what is known" and "what is done". Several factors hinder or facilitate KT activities including individual characteristics and organizational attributes; we will focus on individual healthcare professional modifiable characteristics. The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize knowledge on KT competencies for knowledge users, knowledge brokers, and knowledge producers/researchers to support evidence-based practice (EBP) and inform policy and research in health. Our objectives are to explore the relevant theoretical and empirical literature; map the publications for key themes and research gaps of KT competencies, and interventions for enhancing KT competencies; summarize and disseminate findings; produce an action plan and research agenda; and develop self-assessment tools (the KT Pathways) for professional development for our three target audiences. The scoping review method will guide our study by following six stages: formulating the research question; identifying relevant studies; selecting the literature; charting the data; collating, summarizing, and reporting the results; and developing a KT plan and consulting stakeholders involved in the fields of KT, EBP, evidence-informed policy-making, and/or research. We will include empirical and theoretical/conceptual peer-reviewed and grey literature in health that examine knowledge user, knowledge broker and knowledge producer KT competencies. Publications written in the English language and published after 2003 only will be considered. Our multidisciplinary research team will collaborate using technology (i.e., WebEx for discussions and a Web 2.0 website for storing documents). Our KT plan consists of an Advisory Group and dissemination plan of the findings. We expect the identified KT competencies to contribute to the KT science by providing positive outcomes in practice, policy, education, and future research. Incorporation of the core KT competencies may enhance safety, effectiveness of clinical care, and quality of health outcomes; contribute to and facilitate collaboration among practitioners, knowledge users, knowledge brokers, researchers, employers, and educators; improve education of healthcare professionals and inform policy-making process; benefit practitioners by guiding their KT professional development to become effective at moving evidence into practice and policy; guide suitable interventions and strategies to enhance KT activities in the health sector; and direct future research.

Bone disease in multiple myeloma and precursor disease: novel diagnostic approaches and implications on clinical management

PubMed Central

Kristinsson, Sigurdur Y; Minter, Alex R; Korde, Neha; Tan, Esther; Landgren, Ola

2011-01-01

The manifestations of bone involvement in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) can have devastating clinical effects and increase mortality. Recent studies demonstrate that patients with the precursor conditions smoldering MM (SMM) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) show evidence of bone disease and increased risk of fractures. The understanding of the pathogenesis of bone disease in MM has expanded in recent years. The traditional skeletal survey will probably be replaced by newer and more sensitive imaging techniques, which may have a prognostic impact and change our definition of MGUS and SMM. Bisphosphonates are recommended to prevent skeletal events in patients with MM, and have also been studied in SMM and MGUS. This article summarizes the current knowledge of bone disease in plasma cell disorders, and discusses the current standard and future role of novel imaging techniques, as well as the evidence and current guidelines for bisphosphonates in MM, SMM and MGUS. PMID:21745013

Production and manipulation of bovine embryos: techniques and terminology.

PubMed

Machaty, Z; Peippo, J; Peter, A

2012-09-15

There are numerous publications regarding bovine embryos, ranging from descriptions of their appearance and development to emerging techniques in the field of assisted reproductive technology. Concurrently, several specialized terms have been developed to describe the bovine embryo. The purpose of the current review is two-fold; it is primarily to describe techniques involved in the in vivo and in vitro production of bovine embryos and their manipulation, and secondarily to summarize specialized terms used in these processes. The intention is not to review these techniques in detail, but instead to provide salient points and current knowledge regarding these techniques, with a focus on terminology. The first review dealt with classical and contemporary terminology used to describe morphologic aspects of ovarian dynamics in cattle. Subsequently, the terms and current understanding of processes involved in preattachment bovine embryos were described in the second review. As the third article in a series, this mini-review is focused on defining the production, manipulation, and transfer of bovine preattachment embryos. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Current status and recent dynamics of the Black Brant Branta bernicla breeding population

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sedinger, James S.; Lensink, Calvin J.; Ward, David H.; Anthony, Michael W.; Wege, Michael L.; Byrd, G. Vernon

1993-01-01

We summarize current knowledge about the distribution of Pacific Black Brant and recent dynamics of colonies, particularly on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, Alaska. About 20,000 nests are required to produce the number of young in the autumn flight using estimates of clutch size, hatching success and gosling survival based on colonies on the Y-K Delta. More than 80% of the nests in the population can be accounted for currently on the Y-K Delta. Most moulting individuals that did not breed, or were unsuccessful, are unaccounted for in late summer. Numbers of Black Brant nesting in major colonies on the Y-K Delta declined >60% in the early 1980s, most likely as a result of local subsistence harvest combined with predation by arctic foxes. Effective management of this population requires a better understanding of the distribution of breeding and moulting birds, the importance of breeding habitat to colony dynamics and the role of both sport and subsistence harvest in population dynamics.

The Non-Human Primate Experimental Glaucoma Model

PubMed Central

Burgoyne, Claude F.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this report is to summarize the current strengths and weaknesses of the non-human primate (NHP) experimental glaucoma (EG) model through sections devoted to its history, methods, important findings, alternative optic neuropathy models and future directions. NHP EG has become well established for studying human glaucoma in part because the NHP optic nerve head (ONH) shares a close anatomic association with the human ONH and because it provides the only means of systematically studying the very earliest visual system responses to chronic IOP elevation, i.e. the conversion from ocular hypertension to glaucomatous damage. However, NHPs are impractical for studies that require large animal numbers, demonstrate spontaneous glaucoma only rarely, do not currently provide a model of the neuropathy at normal levels of IOP, and cannot easily be genetically manipulated, except through tissue-specific, viral vectors. The goal of this summary is to direct NHP EG and non-NHP EG investigators to the previous, current and future accomplishment of clinically relevant knowledge in this model. PMID:26070984

The effect of the internet on teen and young adult tobacco use: a literature review.

PubMed

Forsyth, Susan R; Kennedy, Christine; Malone, Ruth E

2013-01-01

Research has shown that a positive association exists between exposure to smoking imagery, such as that found in movies and print advertising, and the subsequent uptake of cigarette smoking. Children appear to be especially vulnerable to advertising messaging and other positive portrayals of smoking, given that most adult smokers develop the habit before age 18 years. Although many traditional types of media have been studied, the current generation of youth is growing up as digital natives, with young people increasingly using the Internet for entertainment and to obtain information. Currently the Internet is an essentially unregulated marketplace of ideas and images. However, the effect of the Internet on teen smoking initiation has received little attention in studies. In this literature review, we summarize and critique the existing work, identify current knowledge gaps, and offer suggestions to health care providers about how to address this issue. Copyright © 2013 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced software development workstation: Knowledge base methodology: Methodology for first Engineering Script Language (ESL) knowledge base

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peeris, Kumar; Izygon, Michel

1993-01-01

This report explains some of the concepts of the ESL prototype and summarizes some of the lessons learned in using the prototype for implementing the Flight Mechanics Tool Kit (FMToolKit) series of Ada programs.

Genetics of gallstone disease.

PubMed

Rebholz, Charlotte; Krawczyk, Marcin; Lammert, Frank

2018-04-10

Gallstone disease (GD) belongs to the most frequent disorders in gastroenterology and causes high costs in our health-care systems. Gallstones are uncommon in children but frequent in adults, in particular in women, and are triggered by exogenous risk factors. Here, we summarize the current knowledge concerning the contribution of inherited predisposition to gallstone risk. In this review, we present the current data and recent research on the genetics of gallstone disease. Several GD-predisposing gene variants have been reported, with most prominent effects being conferred by a common variant (p.D19H) of the hepatic and intestinal cholesterol transporter ABCG5/G8. A smaller group of patients might develop gallstones primarily due low phosphatidylcholine concentrations in bile as a result of loss-of-function mutations of the ABCB4 transporter (low phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis syndrome). Regardless of the origin, the risk factors for gallstones lead to the supersaturation of bile with insoluble compounds, in particular cholesterol. As result, cholesterol stones develop and present the most frequent type of gallstones. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy with low morbidity and mortality is currently the most common and effective method for the therapy of symptomatic gallbladder stones. Gallstone disease represents a multifactorial condition and previous studies have identified the major genetic contributors to gallstone formation. The increasing knowledge about the pathomechanisms of hepatobiliary metabolism and GD as well as the identification of additional risk factors might help to overcome the current invasive therapy by specific lifestyle intervention and precise molecular treatment. © 2018 Stichting European Society for Clinical Investigation Journal Foundation.

Endemic pemphigus foliaceus over a century: Part I.

PubMed

Abréu-Vélez, Ana María; Reason, Iara J de Messias; Howard, Michael S; Roselino, Ana Maria

2010-02-01

Endemic pemphigus foliaceus (EPF) is the only known autoimmune disease presenting in circumscribed geographic areas. We aim to provide information concerning the natural course of EPF, including systemic compromise in the presteroid era, which has been largely unavailable in the current medical literature. MATERIAL #ENTITYSTARTX00026; By a retrospective review of the literature we aim to compile and compare the focus of EPF and the current knowledge about them. The main aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of EPF, including data described almost one century ago; and, to include several unindexed reports, which may have not been available to many current scientists and health care personnel. Foci of EPF have been described in several Central American and South American countries, affecting predominately young people and Amerindians, with an additional female predilection. Although most cases have occurred in Brazil, some cases have been reported in Peru, Paraguay, El Salvador, and Venezuela. Another variant of EPF has been described in El Bagre, Colombia, affecting older men and a few post-menopausal females. Finally, another type of EPF was described in nomadic tribes affecting females of child bearing age in Tunisia, Africa. Our understanding of EPF has been hampered by a lack of government attention to these diseases, especially in some South and Central American countries. Other factors that have made past studies of EPF difficult include 1) that the disease foci are often located in rural areas bordering the rain forest of underdeveloped countries; and 2) military conflicts in some of these areas.

Occupational hazards to health of port workers.

PubMed

Wang, Yukun; Zhan, Shuifen; Liu, Yan; Li, Yan

2017-12-01

The aim of this article is to reduce the risk of occupational hazards and improve safety conditions by enhancing hazard knowledge and identification as well as improving safety behavior for freight port enterprises. In the article, occupational hazards to health and their prevention measures of freight port enterprises have been summarized through a lot of occupational health evaluation work, experience and understanding. Workers of freight port enterprises confront an equally wide variety of chemical, physical and psychological hazards in production technology, production environment and the course of labor. Such health hazards have been identified, the risks evaluated, the dangers to health notified and effective prevention measures which should be put in place to ensure the health of the port workers summarized. There is still a long way to go for the freight port enterprises to prevent and control the occupational hazards. Except for occupational hazards and their prevention measures, other factors that influence the health of port workers should also be paid attention to, such as age, work history, gender, contraindication and even the occurrence and development rules of occupational hazards in current production conditions.

Zinc: health effects and research priorities for the 1990s.

PubMed Central

Walsh, C T; Sandstead, H H; Prasad, A S; Newberne, P M; Fraker, P J

1994-01-01

This review critically summarizes the literature on the spectrum of health effects of zinc status, ranging from symptoms of zinc deficiency to excess exposure. Studies on zinc intake are reviewed in relation to optimum requirements as a function of age and sex. Current knowledge on the biochemical properties of zinc which are critical to the essential role of this metal in biological systems is summarized. Dietary and physiological factors influencing the bioavailability and utilization of zinc are considered with special attention to interactions with iron and copper status. The effects of zinc deficiency and toxicity are reviewed with respect to specific organs, immunological and reproductive function, and genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Finally, key questions are identified where research is needed, such as the risks to human health of altered environmental distribution of zinc, assessment of zinc status in humans, effects of zinc status in relation to other essential metals on immune function, reproduction, neurological function, and the cardiovascular system, and mechanistic studies to further elucidate the biological effects of zinc at the molecular level. PMID:7925188

Conclusions and recommendations from the symposium, Beyond Cholesterol: Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease with n-3 Fatty Acids.

PubMed

Deckelbaum, Richard J; Leaf, Alexander; Mozaffarian, Dariush; Jacobson, Terry A; Harris, William S; Akabas, Sharon R

2008-06-01

After the symposium "Beyond Cholesterol: Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease with n-3 Fatty Acids," faculty who presented at the conference submitted manuscripts relating to their conference topics, and these are presented in this supplement. The content of these manuscripts was reviewed, and 2 conference calls were convened. The objective was to summarize existing evidence, gaps in evidence, and future research needed to strengthen recommendations for specific intakes of n-3 fatty acids for different conditions relating to cardiovascular disease. The following 2 questions were the main items discussed. What are the roles of n-3 fatty acids in primary versus secondary prevention of coronary heart disease? What are the roles of n-3 fatty acids in hypertriglyceridemia, in the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and in sudden cardiac death, cardiac arrhythmias, and vulnerable plaque? Each area was summarized by using 2 general categories: 1) current knowledge for which general consensus exists, and 2) recommendations for research and policy. Additional references for these conclusions can be found in the articles included in the supplement.

Geodynamo theory and simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Paul H.; Glatzmaier, Gary A.

2000-10-01

80 years ago, Joseph Larmor planted the seed that grew into today's imposing body of knowledge about how the Earth's magnetic field is created. His simple idea, that the geomagnetic field is the result of dynamo action in the Earth's electrically conducting, fluid core, encountered many difficulties, but these have by now been largely overcome, while alternative proposals have been found to be untenable. The development of the theory and its current status are reviewed below. The basic electrodynamics are summarized, but the main focus is on dynamical questions. A special study is made of the energy and entropy requirements of the dynamo and in particular of how efficient it is, considered as a heat engine. Particular attention is paid to modeling core magnetohydrodynamics in a way that is tractable but nevertheless incorporates the dynamical effects of core turbulence in an approximate way. This theory has been tested by numerical integrations, some results from which are presented. The success of these simulations seems to be considerable, when measured against the known geomagnetic facts summarized here. Obstacles that still remain to be overcome are discussed, and some other future challenges are described.

Plant cell shape: modulators and measurements

PubMed Central

Ivakov, Alexander; Persson, Staffan

2013-01-01

Plant cell shape, seen as an integrative output, is of considerable interest in various fields, such as cell wall research, cytoskeleton dynamics and biomechanics. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge on cell shape formation in plants focusing on shape of simple cylindrical cells, as well as in complex multipolar cells such as leaf pavement cells and trichomes. We summarize established concepts as well as recent additions to the understanding of how cells construct cell walls of a given shape and the underlying processes. These processes include cell wall synthesis, activity of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, in particular their regulation by microtubule associated proteins, actin-related proteins, GTP'ases and their effectors, as well as the recently-elucidated roles of plant hormone signaling and vesicular membrane trafficking. We discuss some of the challenges in cell shape research with a particular emphasis on quantitative imaging and statistical analysis of shape in 2D and 3D, as well as novel developments in this area. Finally, we review recent examples of the use of novel imaging techniques and how they have contributed to our understanding of cell shape formation. PMID:24312104

Working and caring for a child with chronic illness: A review of current literature.

PubMed

Kish, A M; Newcombe, P A; Haslam, D M

2018-05-01

Advances in medical knowledge have contributed to the increase in the number of children living with some form of long-term chronic illness or condition. As a consequence of these advancements, treatments that are more accessible and easier to administer, usually within a child's home, have been developed. However, this may mean that parents take on greater treatment responsibility and require extra time and energy to meet these tasks, additional to other responsibilities. This review paper aims to summarize and critique existing literature on working parents of children with a chronic condition, by focusing on patterns of parent work, the challenges experienced, and the flow-on consequences to well-being. Employing a narrative, meta-synthesis of the current literature, this review identified 3 key themes related to working parents of children with chronic illness. The paper first identifies that although employment is less common, these parents are not necessarily nonworking. Second, these parents experience numerous challenges including balancing work and family, time constraints, stress, and feelings of "doing it all." And third, the above challenges lead to additional impacts on parental quality of life. This review summarizes what is currently known about work patterns, challenges, and consequences in parents of children with chronic conditions. Employment is clearly impacted for these parents. Although workplace challenges have been extensively researched, other challenges (eg, personal and family) and impacts on their well-being have not. This review discusses the present standing of this research. It outlines the strengths and limitations of the current literature, makes recommendations for future research, and suggests theoretical and practical implications of the further findings. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Supervising Knowledge Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duffy, Francis M.

This paper summarizes a new paradigm of instructional supervision, which shifts the focus on supervision from an examination of individual behavior to the improvement of work processes and social system components of the school district. The paradigm, called "Knowledge Work Supervision," helps teams of teachers and specially trained supervisors…

Ontology-based structured cosine similarity in document summarization: with applications to mobile audio-based knowledge management.

PubMed

Yuan, Soe-Tsyr; Sun, Jerry

2005-10-01

Development of algorithms for automated text categorization in massive text document sets is an important research area of data mining and knowledge discovery. Most of the text-clustering methods were grounded in the term-based measurement of distance or similarity, ignoring the structure of the documents. In this paper, we present a novel method named structured cosine similarity (SCS) that furnishes document clustering with a new way of modeling on document summarization, considering the structure of the documents so as to improve the performance of document clustering in terms of quality, stability, and efficiency. This study was motivated by the problem of clustering speech documents (of no rich document features) attained from the wireless experience oral sharing conducted by mobile workforce of enterprises, fulfilling audio-based knowledge management. In other words, this problem aims to facilitate knowledge acquisition and sharing by speech. The evaluations also show fairly promising results on our method of structured cosine similarity.

Microbial degradation of aflatoxin B1: Current status and future advances.

PubMed

Verheecke, C; Liboz, T; Mathieu, F

2016-11-21

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a natural toxin produced by many food-contaminant fungi and is a threat to human and animal health. This review summarizes current knowledge of the different ways to limit AFB1 in the food chain. We start by introducing current data and reviews available on the prevention of AFB1 occurrence, on AFB1 non-biological decontamination and biological adsorption. We then focus on microbial AFB1-degradation. The latter has already been well studied using living organisms, supernatants or purified enzymes. This review compiles information on the variety of protocols and the efficacy of the different sub-kingdoms or classes of microorganisms or their enzymes. We pay particular attention to publications closest to in vivo applications of microbial AFB1-degradation. In addition, this review also provides a summary of the currently known microbial degradation metabolites of AFB1 and their levels of toxicity, and provides recommendations on the most promising techniques to pursue the aim of minimizing ABF1 in the food supply. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

[Applications of stable isotope analysis in the trophic ecology studies of cephalopods].

PubMed

Li, Yun-Kai; Gong, Yi; Chen, Xin-Jun

2014-05-01

Cephalopods play an important role in marine food webs, however, knowledge about their complex life history, especially their feeding ecology, remains limited. With the rapidly increasing use of stable isotope analysis (SIA) in ecology, it becomes a powerful tool and complement of traditional methods for investigating the trophic ecology and migration patterns of invertebrates. Here, after summarizing the current methods for trophic ecology investigation of cephalopods, applications of SIA in studying the trophic ecology of cephalopods were reviewed, including the key issues such as standardization of available tissues for SIA analyzing, diet shift and migration patterns of cephalopods, with the aim of advancing its application in the biology of cephalopods in the future.

Novel Occurrence of Uncommon Polyamines in Higher Plants 1

PubMed Central

Kuehn, Glenn D.; Rodriguez-Garay, Benjamin; Bagga, Suman; Phillips, Gregory C.

1990-01-01

Diamines and polyamines are ubiquitous components of living cells, and apparently are involved in numerous cellular and physiological processes. Certain “uncommon” polyamines have limited distribution in nature and have been associated primarily with organisms adapted to extreme environments, although the precise function of these polyamines in such organisms is unknown. This article summarizes current knowledge regarding the occurrence in higher plants of the uncommon polyamines related to and including norspermidine and norspermine. A putative biosynthetic pathway to account for the occurrences of these uncommon polyamines in higher plants is presented, with a summary of the supporting evidence indicating the existence of the requisite enzymatic activities in alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. PMID:16667862

Loranthus micranthus Linn.: Biological Activities and Phytochemistry

PubMed Central

Zorofchian Moghadamtousi, Soheil; Hajrezaei, Maryam; Abdul Kadir, Habsah

2013-01-01

Loranthus micranthus Linn. is a medicinal plant from the Loranthaceae family commonly known as an eastern Nigeria species of the African mistletoe and is widely used in folkloric medicine to cure various ailments and diseases. It is semiparasitic plant because of growing on various host trees and shrubs and absorbing mineral nutrition and water from respective host. Hence, the phytochemicals and biological activities of L. micranthus demonstrated strong host and harvesting period dependency. The leaves have been proved to possess immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiarrhoeal, and hypolipidemic activities. This review summarizes the information and findings concerning the current knowledge on the biological activities, pharmacological properties, toxicity, and chemical constituents of Loranthus micranthus. PMID:24109490

The geology and geophysics of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saunders, R. S.

1976-01-01

The current state of knowledge concerning the regional geology and geophysics of Mars is summarized. Telescopic observations of the planet are reviewed, pre-Mariner models of its interior are discussed, and progress achieved with the Mariner flybys, especially that of Mariner 9, is noted. A map of the Martian geological provinces is presented to provide a summary of the surface geology and morphology. The contrast between the northern and southern hemispheres is pointed out, and the characteristic features of the surface are described in detail. The global topography of the planet is examined along with its gravitational field, gravity anomalies, and moment of inertia. The general sequence of events in Martian geological history is briefly outlined.

2-Hydroxy Acids in Plant Metabolism

PubMed Central

Maurino, Veronica G.; Engqvist, Martin K. M.

2015-01-01

Glycolate, malate, lactate, and 2-hydroxyglutarate are important 2-hydroxy acids (2HA) in plant metabolism. Most of them can be found as D- and L-stereoisomers. These 2HA play an integral role in plant primary metabolism, where they are involved in fundamental pathways such as photorespiration, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate cycle, methylglyoxal pathway, and lysine catabolism. Recent molecular studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have helped elucidate the participation of these 2HA in in plant metabolism and physiology. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge about the metabolic pathways and cellular processes in which they are involved, focusing on the proteins that participate in their metabolism and cellular/intracellular transport in Arabidopsis. PMID:26380567

Reproduction and fertility in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection.

PubMed

van Leeuwen, E; Prins, J M; Jurriaans, S; Boer, K; Reiss, P; Repping, S; van der Veen, F

2007-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) affects mostly men and women in their reproductive years. For those who have access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the course of HIV-1 infection has shifted from a lethal to a chronic disease. As a result of this, many patients with HIV-1 consider having offspring, as do other patients of reproductive age with chronic illnesses. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the presence of HIV in the male and female genital tract, the effects of HIV-1 infection and HAART on male and female fertility and the results of various assisted reproduction techniques (ART) in HIV-1-infected men and women who wish to have offspring.

Flavivirus RNA Synthesis in vitro

PubMed Central

Padmanabhan, Radhakrishnan; Takhampunya, Ratree; Teramoto, Tadahisa; Choi, Kyung H.

2015-01-01

Summary Establishment of in vitro systems to study mechanisms of RNA synthesis for positive strand RNA viruses have been very useful in the past and have shed light on the composition of protein and RNA components, optimum conditions, the nature of the products formed, cis-acting RNA elements and trans-acting protein factors required for efficient synthesis. In this review, we summarize our current understanding regarding the requirements for flavivirus RNA synthesis in vitro. We describe details of reaction conditions, the specificity of template used by either the multi-component membrane-bound viral replicase complex or by purified, recombinant RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. We also discuss future perspectives to extend the boundaries of our knowledge. PMID:26272247

Dietary Magnesium and Genetic Interactions in Diabetes and Related Risk Factors: A Brief Overview of Current Knowledge

PubMed Central

Hruby, Adela; McKeown, Nicola M.; Song, Yiqing; Djoussé, Luc

2013-01-01

Nutritional genomics has exploded in the last decade, yielding insights—both nutrigenomic and nutrigenetic—into the physiology of dietary interactions and our genes. Among these are insights into the regulation of magnesium transport and homeostasis and mechanisms underlying magnesium’s role in insulin and glucose handling. Recent observational evidence has attempted to examine some promising research avenues on interaction between genetics and dietary magnesium in relation to diabetes and diabetes risk factors. This brief review summarizes the recent evidence on dietary magnesium’s role in diabetes and related traits in the presence of underlying genetic risk, and discusses future potential research directions. PMID:24322525

Sea buckthorn as a source of important bioactive compounds in cardiovascular diseases.

PubMed

Olas, Beata

2016-11-01

Hippophae rhamnoides (sea buckthorn) offers many health benefits. It has significant cardioprotective activity and exerts many positive healing effects on the cardiovascular system, including inhibiting blood platelet activation (especially platelet aggregation), lowering cholesterol concentration and blood pressure, and providing antioxidant activity. In addition, sea buckthorn has antibacterial and antiviral properties. The leaves and fruits of the plant, and its oils, are sources of many bioactive substances including vitamins (A, C and E), unsaturated fatty acids, phenolic compounds, especially flavonoids, and phytosterols, which bestow positive effects on the cardiovascular system. This review article summarizes the current knowledge of the biological roles of sea buckthorn in cardiovascular diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV-Associated Gastrointestinal Cancer.

PubMed

Jensen, Björn E-O; Oette, Mark; Haes, Johannes; Häussinger, Dieter

2017-01-01

People living nowadays with HIV and AIDS may be treated effectively regarding virus replication and immunology. However, non-AIDS-defining cancer is of growing relevance due to high incidence and unfavorable outcome. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on gastrointestinal (GI) carcinoma. Although literature on GI cancer is rare, an increased incidence of esophageal, gastric, pancreatic, hepatocellular, and colorectal carcinoma has been demonstrated. However, there are only few reports on therapy strategies and outcome, so that, despite increased occurrence of many GI carcinomas, only little is known about individualized treatment options and outcome in HIV-positive patients. More efforts have to be undertaken to close this gap. © 2017 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and congenital malformations in Europe.

PubMed

Hoffmann, W

2001-01-01

Investigators estimate that the population exposure that resulted from the Chernobyl fallout is in the range of natural background radiation for most European countries. Given current radiobiologic knowledge, health effects-if any-would not be measurable with epidemiologic tools. In several independent reports, however, researchers have described isolated peaks in the prevalence of congenital malformations in the cohort conceived immediately after onset of the fallout. The consistency of the time pattern and the specific types of malformation raise concern about their significance. In this study, the author summarizes findings from Turkey, Belarus, Croatia, Finland, Germany, and other countries, and implications for radiation protection and public health issues are discussed.

Interplay between Herpesvirus Infection and Host Defense by PML Nuclear Bodies.

PubMed

Tavalai, Nina; Stamminger, Thomas

2009-12-01

In recent studies we and others have identified the cellular proteins PML, hDaxx, and Sp100, which form a subnuclear structure known as nuclear domain 10 (ND10) or PML nuclear bodies (PML-NBs), as host restriction factors that counteract herpesviral infections by inhibiting viral replication at different stages. The antiviral function of ND10, however, is antagonized by viral regulatory proteins (e.g., ICP0 of herpes simplex virus; IE1 of human cytomegalovirus) which induce either a modification or disruption of ND10. This review will summarize the current knowledge on how viral replication is inhibited by ND10 proteins. Furthermore, herpesviral strategies to defeat this host defense mechanism are discussed.

The molecular basis of α-thalassemia.

PubMed

Higgs, Douglas R

2013-01-01

The globin gene disorders including the thalassemias are among the most common human genetic diseases with more than 300,000 severely affected individuals born throughout the world every year. Because of the easy accessibility of purified, highly specialized, mature erythroid cells from peripheral blood, the hemoglobinopathies were among the first tractable human molecular diseases. From the 1970s onward, the analysis of the large repertoire of mutations underlying these conditions has elucidated many of the principles by which mutations occur and cause human genetic diseases. This work will summarize our current knowledge of the α-thalassemias, illustrating how detailed analysis of this group of diseases has contributed to our understanding of the general molecular mechanisms underlying many orphan and common diseases.

Role of Host-Defence Peptides in Eye Diseases

PubMed Central

Kolar, Satya S.; McDermott, Alison M.

2013-01-01

The eye and its associated tissues including the lacrimal system and lids have evolved several defence mechanisms to prevent microbial invasion. Included among this armory are several host-defence peptides. These multifunctional molecules are being studied not only for their endogenous antimicrobial properties but also for their potential therapeutic effects. Here the current knowledge of host-defence peptide expression in the eye will be summarized. The role of these peptides in eye disease will be discussed with the primary focus being on infectious keratitis, inflammatory conditions including dry eye and wound healing. Finally the potential of using host-defence peptides and their mimetics/derivatives for the treatment and prevention of eye diseases is addressed. PMID:21584809

Epigenetics of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: opportunities for novel chemotherapeutic targets.

PubMed

Lindsay, Cameron; Seikaly, Hadi; Biron, Vincent L

2017-01-31

Epigenetic modifications are heritable changes in gene expression that do not directly alter DNA sequence. These modifications include DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, small and non-coding RNAs. Alterations in epigenetic profiles cause deregulation of fundamental gene expression pathways associated with carcinogenesis. The role of epigenetics in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has recently been recognized, with implications for novel biomarkers, molecular diagnostics and chemotherapeutics. In this review, important epigenetic pathways in human papillomavirus (HPV) positive and negative OPSCC are summarized, as well as the potential clinical utility of this knowledge.This material has never been published and is not currently under evaluation in any other peer-reviewed publication.

The SYK tyrosine kinase: a crucial player in diverse biological functions

PubMed Central

Mócsai, Attila; Ruland, Jürgen; Tybulewicz, Victor L. J.

2016-01-01

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) has been known to relay adaptive immune receptor signalling. However, recent reports indicate that SYK also mediates other, unexpectedly diverse biological functions including cellular adhesion, innate immune recognition, osteoclast maturation, platelet activation and vascular development. SYK is activated by C-type lectins and integrins, and activates novel targets including the CARD9/CARMA1–BCL10–MALT1 pathway and the NLRP3 inflammasome. Drosophila studies indicate evolutionary ancient origin of SYK-mediated signalling. Moreover, SYK has a crucial role in autoimmune diseases and haematological malignancies. This Review summarizes our current understanding of SYK functions and the translation of this knowledge for therapeutic purposes. PMID:20467426

Go ahead, grow a head! A planarian's guide to anterior regeneration

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Abstract The unique ability of some planarian species to regenerate a head de novo, including a functional brain, provides an experimentally accessible system in which to study the mechanisms underlying regeneration. Here, we summarize the current knowledge on the key steps of planarian head regeneration (head‐versus‐tail decision, anterior pole formation and head patterning) and their molecular and cellular basis. Moreover, instructive properties of the anterior pole as a putative organizer and in coordinating anterior midline formation are discussed. Finally, we highlight that regeneration initiation occurs in a two‐step manner and hypothesize that wound‐induced and existing positional cues interact to detect tissue loss and together determine the appropriate regenerative outcomes. PMID:27606065

Membranous Replication Factories Induced by Plus-Strand RNA Viruses

PubMed Central

Romero-Brey, Inés; Bartenschlager, Ralf

2014-01-01

In this review, we summarize the current knowledge about the membranous replication factories of members of plus-strand (+) RNA viruses. We discuss primarily the architecture of these complex membrane rearrangements, because this topic emerged in the last few years as electron tomography has become more widely available. A general denominator is that two “morphotypes” of membrane alterations can be found that are exemplified by flaviviruses and hepaciviruses: membrane invaginations towards the lumen of the endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) and double membrane vesicles, representing extrusions also originating from the ER, respectively. We hypothesize that either morphotype might reflect common pathways and principles that are used by these viruses to form their membranous replication compartments. PMID:25054883

Improving the Yield and Nutritional Quality of Forage Crops

PubMed Central

Capstaff, Nicola M.; Miller, Anthony J.

2018-01-01

Despite being some of the most important crops globally, there has been limited research on forages when compared with cereals, fruits, and vegetables. This review summarizes the literature highlighting the significance of forage crops, the current improvements and some of future directions for improving yield and nutritional quality. We make the point that the knowledge obtained from model plant and grain crops can be applied to forage crops. The timely development of genomics and bioinformatics together with genome editing techniques offer great scope to improve forage crops. Given the social, environmental and economic importance of forage across the globe and especially in poorer countries, this opportunity has enormous potential to improve food security and political stability. PMID:29740468

Sudden Cardiac Death During Sports Activities in the General Population.

PubMed

Narayanan, Kumar; Bougouin, Wulfran; Sharifzadehgan, Ardalan; Waldmann, Victor; Karam, Nicole; Marijon, Eloi; Jouven, Xavier

2017-12-01

Regular exercise reduces cardiovascular and overall mortality. Participation in sports is an important determinant of cardiovascular health and fitness. Regular sports activity is associated with a smaller risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, there is a small risk of sports-related SCD. Sports-related SCD accounts for approximately 5% of total SCD. SCD among athletes comprises only a fraction of all sports-related SCD. Sport-related SCD has a male predominance and an average age of affliction of 45 to 50 years. Survival is better than for other SCD. This review summarizes links between sports and SCD and discusses current knowledge and controversies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Riptortus pedestris and Burkholderia symbiont: an ideal model system for insect-microbe symbiotic associations.

PubMed

Takeshita, Kazutaka; Kikuchi, Yoshitomo

2017-04-01

A number of insects establish symbiotic associations with beneficial microorganisms in various manners. The bean bug Riptortus pedestris and allied stink bugs possess an environmentally acquired Burkholderia symbiont in their midgut crypts. Unlike other insect endosymbionts, the Burkholderia symbiont is easily culturable and genetically manipulatable outside the host. In conjunction with the experimental advantages of the host insect, the Riptortus-Burkholderia symbiosis is an ideal model system for elucidating the molecular bases underpinning insect-microbe symbioses, which opens a new window in the research field of insect symbiosis. This review summarizes current knowledge of this system and discusses future perspectives. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Coat as a Dagger: The Use of Capsid Proteins to Perforate Membranes during Non-Enveloped DNA Viruses Trafficking

PubMed Central

Bilkova, Eva; Forstova, Jitka; Abrahamyan, Levon

2014-01-01

To get access to the replication site, small non-enveloped DNA viruses have to cross the cell membrane using a limited number of capsid proteins, which also protect the viral genome in the extracellular environment. Most of DNA viruses have to reach the nucleus to replicate. The capsid proteins involved in transmembrane penetration are exposed or released during endosomal trafficking of the virus. Subsequently, the conserved domains of capsid proteins interact with cellular membranes and ensure their efficient permeabilization. This review summarizes our current knowledge concerning the role of capsid proteins of small non-enveloped DNA viruses in intracellular membrane perturbation in the early stages of infection. PMID:25055856

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere: sea ice and glacial habitats.

PubMed

Boetius, Antje; Anesio, Alexandre M; Deming, Jody W; Mikucki, Jill A; Rapp, Josephine Z

2015-11-01

The Earth's cryosphere comprises those regions that are cold enough for water to turn into ice. Recent findings show that the icy realms of polar oceans, glaciers and ice sheets are inhabited by microorganisms of all three domains of life, and that temperatures below 0 °C are an integral force in the diversification of microbial life. Cold-adapted microorganisms maintain key ecological functions in icy habitats: where sunlight penetrates the ice, photoautotrophy is the basis for complex food webs, whereas in dark subglacial habitats, chemoautotrophy reigns. This Review summarizes current knowledge of the microbial ecology of frozen waters, including the diversity of niches, the composition of microbial communities at these sites and their biogeochemical activities.

Pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension in acute lung injury

PubMed Central

Price, Laura C.; McAuley, Danny F.; Marino, Philip S.; Finney, Simon J.; Griffiths, Mark J.

2012-01-01

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome are characterized by protein rich alveolar edema, reduced lung compliance, and acute severe hypoxemia. A degree of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is also characteristic, higher levels of which are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The increase in right ventricular (RV) afterload causes RV dysfunction and failure in some patients, with associated adverse effects on oxygen delivery. Although the introduction of lung protective ventilation strategies has probably reduced the severity of PH in ALI, a recent invasive hemodynamic analysis suggests that even in the modern era, its presence remains clinically important. We therefore sought to summarize current knowledge of the pathophysiology of PH in ALI. PMID:22246001

HIV Genetic Diversity and Drug Resistance.

PubMed

Santos, André F; Soares, Marcelo A

2010-02-01

Most of the current knowledge on antiretroviral (ARV) drug development and resistance is based on the study of subtype B of HIV-1, which only accounts for 10% of the worldwide HIV infections. Cumulative evidence has emerged that different HIV types, groups and subtypes harbor distinct biological properties, including the response and susceptibility to ARV. Recent laboratory and clinical data highlighting such disparities are summarized in this review. Variations in drug susceptibility, in the emergence and selection of specific drug resistance mutations, in viral replicative capacity and in the dynamics of resistance acquisition under ARV selective pressure are discussed. Clinical responses to ARV therapy and associated confounding factors are also analyzed in the context of infections by distinct HIV genetic variants.

Confidentiality and Privacy for Smartphone Applications in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Unmet Needs and Practical Solutions.

PubMed

Wu, Emily; Torous, John; Hardaway, Rashad; Gutheil, Thomas

2017-01-01

This article summarizes the current literature on clinical knowledge and practical gaps regarding the confidentiality and privacy for smartphone and connected devices in child and adolescent psychiatry and offers practical solutions and consideration for the next steps for the field. Important issues to consider include disclosure of information sharing, access privilege, privacy and trust, risk and benefit analysis, and the need for standardization. Through understanding the privacy and confidentiality concerns regarding digital devices, child and adolescent psychiatrists can guide patients and parents though informed decision-making and also help shape how the field creates the next generation of these tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Visualizing molecular diffusion through passive permeability barriers in cells: conventional and novel approaches.

PubMed

Lin, Yu-Chun; Phua, Siew Cheng; Lin, Benjamin; Inoue, Takanari

2013-08-01

Diffusion barriers are universal solutions for cells to achieve distinct organizations, compositions, and activities within a limited space. The influence of diffusion barriers on the spatiotemporal dynamics of signaling molecules often determines cellular physiology and functions. Over the years, the passive permeability barriers in various subcellular locales have been characterized using elaborate analytical techniques. In this review, we will summarize the current state of knowledge on the various passive permeability barriers present in mammalian cells. We will conclude with a description of several conventional techniques and one new approach based on chemically inducible diffusion trap (CIDT) for probing permeable barriers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lyme disease: review.

PubMed

Biesiada, Grażyna; Czepiel, Jacek; Leśniak, Maciej R; Garlicki, Aleksander; Mach, Tomasz

2012-12-20

Lyme disease is a multi-organ animal-borne disease, caused by spirochetes of Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb), which typically affect the skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and heart. A history of confirmed exposure to tick bites, typical signs and symptoms of Lyme borreliosis and positive tests for anti-Bb antibodies, are the basis of a diagnosis. A two-step diagnosis is necessary: the first step is based on a high sensitivity ELISA test with positive results confirmed by a more specific Western blot assay. Antibiotic therapy is curative in most cases, but some patients develop chronic symptoms, which do not respond to antibiotics. The aim of this review is to summarize our current knowledge of the symptoms, clinical diagnosis and treatment of Lyme borreliosis.

Consensus Document on Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis in Patients for Biological Treatment.

PubMed

Mir Viladrich, Isabel; Daudén Tello, Esteban; Solano-López, Guillermo; López Longo, Francisco Javier; Taxonera Samso, Carlos; Sánchez Martínez, Paquita; Martínez Lacasa, Xavier; García Gasalla, Mercedes; Dorca Sargatal, Jordi; Arias-Guillén, Miguel; García García, José Maria

2016-01-01

Tuberculosis risk is increased in patients with chronic inflammatory diseases receiving any immunosuppressive treatment, notably tumor necrosis factor (TNF) antagonists therapy. Screening for the presence of latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis and targeted preventive treatment to reduce the risk of progression to TB is mandatory in these patients. This Consensus Document summarizes the current knowledge and expert opinion of biologic therapies including TNF-blocking treatments. It provides recommendations for the use of interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA) and tuberculin skin test (TST) for the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection in these patients, and for the type and duration of preventive therapy. Copyright © 2015 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Human skeletal muscle responses to spaceflight and possible countermeasures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gollnick, Philip D.; Edgerton, V. Reggie; Saltin, Bengt

1990-01-01

The current status of knowledge concerning the effects of unweighting skeletal muscle is summarized. The results of both ground-based and space-based animal studies are reviewed which show that there is rapid loss in muscle mass, primarily in slow-twitch muscle, of the rat during unweighting of muscle. There is also a shift in the myosin isoforms with muscles such that slow-twitch muscles take on many of the characteristics of fast-twitch muscles. Ground-based studies in human suggest that programs of electrical stimulation can be developed to simulate normal muscular contractions. Attempts to develop countermeasures to the adverse effects of space travel on muscular functions in humans have not been successful to date.

Describing the silent human virome with an emphasis on giant viruses.

PubMed

Popgeorgiev, Nikolay; Temmam, Sarah; Raoult, Didier; Desnues, Christelle

2013-01-01

Viruses are the most abundant obligate intracellular entities in our body. Until recently, they were only considered to be pathogens that caused a broad array of pathologies, ranging from mild disease to deaths in the most severe cases. However, recent advances in unbiased mass sequencing techniques as well as increasing epidemiological evidence have indicated that the human body is home to diverse viral species under non-pathological conditions. Despite these studies, the description of the presumably healthy viral flora, i.e. the normal human virome, is still in its infancy regarding viral composition and dynamics. This review summarizes our current knowledge of the human virome under non-pathological conditions.

Cardio-oncology Related to Heart Failure: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Target-Based Therapy.

PubMed

Kenigsberg, Benjamin; Jain, Varun; Barac, Ana

2017-04-01

Cancer therapy targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene B (ErbB)/human EGFR receptor (HER) family of tyrosine kinases has been successfully used in treatment of several malignancies. The ErbB pathways play a role in the maintenance of cardiac homeostasis. This article summarizes current knowledge about EGFR/ErbB/HER receptor-targeted cancer therapeutics focusing on their cardiotoxicity profiles, molecular mechanisms, and implications in clinical cardio-oncology. The article discusses challenges in predicting, monitoring, and treating cardiac dysfunction and heart failure associated with ErbB-targeted cancer therapeutics and highlights opportunities for researchers and clinical investigators. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

PubMed

Espiard, S; Vantyghem, M-C; Desailloud, R

2017-10-01

Parathormone (PTH), produced by parathyroid glands, is the main regulator of calcium homeostasis. Hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT), due to decrease of PTH production, is a rare disease. Symptoms are multiple, altering function of several organs and leading to a decrease of quality of life. Acquired etiologies, including thyroïdectomy, the main cause of hypoPT, can be distinguished from congenital etiologies, including genetic defects. HypoPT, which is classically treated by supplementation by calcium and active vitamin D, can now be treated by recombinant injection in certain indications as a poor control under classical therapy. Here are summarized current knowledge on etiologies, epidemiology, clinical manifestations and management of hypoPT. © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. Tous droits réservés.

Recent advances in autism research as reflected in DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Lord, Catherine; Bishop, Somer L

2015-01-01

This article provides a selective review of advances in scientific knowledge about autism spectrum disorder (ASD), using DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) diagnostic criteria as a framework for the discussion. We review literature that prompted changes to the organization of ASD symptoms and diagnostic subtypes in DSM-IV, and we examine the rationale for new DSM-5 specifiers, modifiers, and severity ratings as well as the introduction of the diagnosis of social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Our goal is to summarize and critically consider the contribution of clinical psychology research, along with that of other disciplines, to the current conceptualization of ASD.

Glioblastoma, a brief review of history, molecular genetics, animal models and novel therapeutic strategies.

PubMed

Agnihotri, Sameer; Burrell, Kelly E; Wolf, Amparo; Jalali, Sharzhad; Hawkins, Cynthia; Rutka, James T; Zadeh, Gelareh

2013-02-01

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor. Over the past few years tremendous genomic and proteomic characterization along with robust animal models of GBM have provided invaluable data that show that "GBM", although histologically indistinguishable from one another, are comprised of molecularly heterogenous diseases. In addition, robust pre-clinical models and a better understanding of the core pathways disrupted in GBM are providing a renewed optimism for novel strategies targeting these devastating tumors. Here, we summarize a brief history of the disease, our current molecular knowledge, lessons from animal models and emerging concepts of angiogenesis, invasion, and metabolism in GBM that may lend themselves to therapeutic targeting.

Health Effects of Ambient Air Pollution in Developing Countries.

PubMed

Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio; Franchini, Massimo

2017-09-12

The deleterious effects of ambient air pollution on human health have been consistently documented by many epidemiologic studies worldwide, and it has been calculated that globally at least seven million deaths are annually attributable to the effects of air pollution. The major air pollutants emitted into the atmosphere by a number of natural processes and human activities include nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. In addition to the poor ambient air quality, there is increasing evidence that indoor air pollution also poses a serious threat to human health, especially in low-income countries that still use biomass fuels as an energy resource. This review summarizes the current knowledge on ambient air pollution in financially deprived populations.

Evaluating Imaging and Computer-aided Detection and Diagnosis Devices at the FDA

PubMed Central

Gallas, Brandon D.; Chan, Heang-Ping; D’Orsi, Carl J.; Dodd, Lori E.; Giger, Maryellen L.; Gur, David; Krupinski, Elizabeth A.; Metz, Charles E.; Myers, Kyle J.; Obuchowski, Nancy A.; Sahiner, Berkman; Toledano, Alicia Y.; Zuley, Margarita L.

2017-01-01

This report summarizes the Joint FDA-MIPS Workshop on Methods for the Evaluation of Imaging and Computer-Assist Devices. The purpose of the workshop was to gather information on the current state of the science and facilitate consensus development on statistical methods and study designs for the evaluation of imaging devices to support US Food and Drug Administration submissions. Additionally, participants expected to identify gaps in knowledge and unmet needs that should be addressed in future research. This summary is intended to document the topics that were discussed at the meeting and disseminate the lessons that have been learned through past studies of imaging and computer-aided detection and diagnosis device performance. PMID:22306064

Isotopic Analysis and Evolved Gases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swindle, Timothy D.; Boynton, William V.; Chutjian, Ara; Hoffman, John H.; Jordan, Jim L.; Kargel, Jeffrey S.; McEntire, Richard W.; Nyquist, Larry

1996-01-01

Precise measurements of the chemical, elemental, and isotopic composition of planetary surface material and gases, and observed variations in these compositions, can contribute significantly to our knowledge of the source(s), ages, and evolution of solar system materials. The analyses discussed in this paper are mostly made by mass spectrometers or some other type of mass analyzer, and address three broad areas of interest: (1) atmospheric composition - isotopic, elemental, and molecular, (2) gases evolved from solids, and (3) solids. Current isotopic data on nine elements, mostly from in situ analysis, but also from meteorites and telescopic observations are summarized. Potential instruments for isotopic analysis of lunar, Martian, Venusian, Mercury, and Pluto surfaces, along with asteroid, cometary and icy satellites, surfaces are discussed.

Critical periods and amblyopia.

PubMed

Daw, N W

1998-04-01

During the past 20 years, basic science has shown that there are different critical periods for different visual functions during the development of the visual system. Visual functions processed at higher anatomical levels within the system have a later critical period than functions processed at lower levels. This general principle suggests that treatments for amblyopia should be followed in a logical sequence, with treatment for each visual function to be started before its critical period is over. However, critical periods for some visual functions, such as stereopsis, are not yet fully determined, and the optimal treatment is, therefore, unknown. This article summarizes the current extent of our knowledge and points to the gaps that need to be filled.

A review of parasite studies of commercially important marine fishes in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Reed, Cecile C

2015-01-01

Scattered records of parasitic species infecting commercially important marine fishes in sub-Saharan Africa are known from just a few countries where concerted efforts have been made by local parasitologists (e.g. Senegal, Nigeria, South Africa). Most of these consist of taxonomic records or general surveys of parasite faunas associated with marine hosts, which may or may not have been of commercial value. Little to no multi-disciplinary research is conducted in most parts of sub-Saharan Africa and hence parasitological data are not commonly used to advise fisheries management procedures. This review summarizes current knowledge on all parasitological research associated with commercially important marine fish species in sub-Saharan Africa.

Advances in Nanotechnology for the Treatment of Osteoporosis.

PubMed

Barry, Mikayla; Pearce, Hannah; Cross, Lauren; Tatullo, Marco; Gaharwar, Akhilesh K

2016-06-01

Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease commonly related to aging. With an increase in life expectancies worldwide, the prevalence of the disease is expected to rise. Current clinical therapeutic treatments are not able to offer long-term solutions to counter the bone mass loss and the increased risk of fractures, which are the primary characteristics of the disease. However, the combination of bioactive nanomaterials within a biomaterial scaffold shows promise for the development of a localized, long-term treatment for those affected by osteoporosis. This review summarizes the unique characteristics of engineered nanoparticles that render them applicable for bone regeneration and recaps the current body of knowledge on nanomaterials with potential for osteoporosis treatment and bone regeneration. Specifically, we highlight new developments that are shaping this emerging field and evaluate applications of recently developed nanomaterials for osteoporosis treatment. Finally, we will identify promising new research directions in nanotechnology for bone regeneration.

Biophysics of cadherin adhesion.

PubMed

Leckband, Deborah; Sivasankar, Sanjeevi

2012-01-01

Since the identification of cadherins and the publication of the first crystal structures, the mechanism of cadherin adhesion, and the underlying structural basis have been studied with a number of different experimental techniques, different classical cadherin subtypes, and cadherin fragments. Earlier studies based on biophysical measurements and structure determinations resulted in seemingly contradictory findings regarding cadherin adhesion. However, recent experimental data increasingly reveal parallels between structures, solution binding data, and adhesion-based biophysical measurements that are beginning to both reconcile apparent differences and generate a more comprehensive model of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion. This chapter summarizes the functional, structural, and biophysical findings relevant to cadherin junction assembly and adhesion. We emphasize emerging parallels between findings obtained with different experimental approaches. Although none of the current models accounts for all of the available experimental and structural data, this chapter discusses possible origins of apparent discrepancies, highlights remaining gaps in current knowledge, and proposes challenges for further study.

Clinical Adoption of Prognostic Biomarkers The Case for Heart Failure

PubMed Central

Kalogeropoulos, Andreas P.; Georgiopoulou, Vasiliki V.; Butler, Javed

2013-01-01

The recent explosion of scientific knowledge and technological progress has led to the discovery of a large array of circulating molecules commonly referred to as biomarkers. Biomarkers in heart failure research have been used to provide pathophysiological insights, aid in establishing the diagnosis, refine prognosis, guide management, and target treatment. However, beyond diagnostic applications of natriuretic peptides, there are currently few widely recognized applications for biomarkers in heart failure. This represents a remarkable discordance considering the number of molecules that have been shown to correlate with outcomes, refine risk prediction, or track disease severity in heart failure in the past decade. In this article, we use a broad framework proposed for cardiovascular risk markers to summarize the current state of biomarker development for heart failure patients. We utilize this framework to identify the challenges of biomarker adoption for risk prediction, disease management, and treatment selection for heart failure and suggest considerations for future research. PMID:22824105

Biomagnetic Monitoring of Atmospheric Pollution: A Review of Magnetic Signatures from Biological Sensors.

PubMed

Hofman, Jelle; Maher, Barbara A; Muxworthy, Adrian R; Wuyts, Karen; Castanheiro, Ana; Samson, Roeland

2017-06-20

Biomagnetic monitoring of atmospheric pollution is a growing application in the field of environmental magnetism. Particulate matter (PM) in atmospheric pollution contains readily measurable concentrations of magnetic minerals. Biological surfaces, exposed to atmospheric pollution, accumulate magnetic particles over time, providing a record of location-specific, time-integrated air quality information. This review summarizes current knowledge of biological material ("sensors") used for biomagnetic monitoring purposes. Our work addresses the following: the range of magnetic properties reported for lichens, mosses, leaves, bark, trunk wood, insects, crustaceans, mammal and human tissues; their associations with atmospheric pollutant species (PM, NO x , trace elements, PAHs); the pros and cons of biomagnetic monitoring of atmospheric pollution; current challenges for large-scale implementation of biomagnetic monitoring; and future perspectives. A summary table is presented, with the aim of aiding researchers and policy makers in selecting the most suitable biological sensor for their intended biomagnetic monitoring purpose.

Plant Metabolomics: An Indispensable System Biology Tool for Plant Science

PubMed Central

Hong, Jun; Yang, Litao; Zhang, Dabing; Shi, Jianxin

2016-01-01

As genomes of many plant species have been sequenced, demand for functional genomics has dramatically accelerated the improvement of other omics including metabolomics. Despite a large amount of metabolites still remaining to be identified, metabolomics has contributed significantly not only to the understanding of plant physiology and biology from the view of small chemical molecules that reflect the end point of biological activities, but also in past decades to the attempts to improve plant behavior under both normal and stressed conditions. Hereby, we summarize the current knowledge on the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying plant growth, development, and stress responses, focusing further on the contributions of metabolomics to practical applications in crop quality improvement and food safety assessment, as well as plant metabolic engineering. We also highlight the current challenges and future perspectives in this inspiring area, with the aim to stimulate further studies leading to better crop improvement of yield and quality. PMID:27258266

Pathological and therapeutic interactions between bacteriophages, microbes and the host in inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Babickova, Janka; Gardlik, Roman

2015-10-28

The intestinal microbiome is a dynamic system of interactions between the host and its microbes. Under physiological conditions, a fine balance and mutually beneficial relationship is present. Disruption of this balance is a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Whether an altered microbiome is the consequence or the cause of IBD is currently not fully understood. The pathogenesis of IBD is believed to be a complex interaction between genetic predisposition, the immune system and environmental factors. In the recent years, metagenomic studies of the human microbiome have provided useful data that are helping to assemble the IBD puzzle. In this review, we summarize and discuss current knowledge on the composition of the intestinal microbiota in IBD, host-microbe interactions and therapeutic possibilities using bacteria in IBD. Moreover, an outlook on the possible contribution of bacteriophages in the pathogenesis and therapy of IBD is provided.

Presence and stability of rotors in atrial fibrillation: evidence and therapeutic implications

PubMed Central

Guillem, María S.; Climent, Andreu M.; Rodrigo, Miguel; Fernández-Avilés, Francisco; Atienza, Felipe; Berenfeld, Omer

2016-01-01

Rotor-guided ablation has opened new perspectives into the therapy of atrial fibrillation (AF). Analysis of the spatio-temporal cardiac excitation patterns in the frequency and phase domains has demonstrated the importance of rotors in research models of AF, however, the dynamics and role of rotors in human AF are still controversial. In this review, the current knowledge gained through research models and patient data that support the notion that rotors are key players in AF maintenance is summarized. We report and discuss discrepancies regarding rotor prevalence and stability in various studies, which can be attributed in part to methodological differences among mapping systems. Future research for validation and improvement of current clinical electrophysiology mapping technologies will be crucial for developing mechanistic-based selection and application of the best therapeutic strategy for individual AF patient, being it, pharmaceutical, ablative, or other approach. PMID:26786157

β-Cell adaptation in pregnancy.

PubMed

Baeyens, L; Hindi, S; Sorenson, R L; German, M S

2016-09-01

Pregnancy in placental mammals places unique demands on the insulin-producing β-cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. The pancreas anticipates the increase in insulin resistance that occurs late in pregnancy by increasing β-cell numbers and function earlier in pregnancy. In rodents, this β-cell expansion depends on secreted placental lactogens that signal through the prolactin receptor. Then at the end of pregnancy, the β-cell population contracts back to its pre-pregnancy size. In the current review, we focus on how glucose metabolism changes during pregnancy, how β-cells anticipate these changes through their response to lactogens and what molecular mechanisms guide the adaptive compensation. In addition, we summarize current knowledge of β-cell adaptation during human pregnancy and what happens when adaptation fails and gestational diabetes ensues. A better understanding of human β-cell adaptation to pregnancy would benefit efforts to predict, prevent and treat gestational diabetes. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evidence-based pharmacological treatment of substance use disorders and pathological gambling.

PubMed

van den Brink, Wim

2012-03-01

This review summarizes our current knowledge of the pharmacological treatment of substance use disorders and pathological gambling using data mainly from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses regarding these randomized controlled trials. The review is restricted to the selection of first and second line pharmacological treatments for smoking, alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, cocaine dependence, cannabis dependence and pathological gambling. It is concluded that great progress has been made in the last three decades and that currently evidence-based pharmacological treatments are available for smoking cessation, alcohol and opioid dependence and pathological gambling. At the same time a series of existing and new pharmacological compounds are being tested in cocaine and cannabis dependence. The review concludes with a summary of additional strategies to increase the effect size of already available pharmacological interventions, including polypharmacy, combining pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy and psychosocial support, and improved patient-treatment matching.

Postnatal Cardiac Autonomic Nervous Control in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease

PubMed Central

Nederend, Ineke; Jongbloed, Monique R. M.; de Geus, Eco J. C.; Blom, Nico A.; ten Harkel, Arend D. J.

2016-01-01

Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital defect. During childhood, survival is generally good but, in adulthood, late complications are not uncommon. Abnormal autonomic control in children with congenital heart disease may contribute considerably to the pathophysiology of these long term sequelae. This narrative review of 34 studies aims to summarize current knowledge on function of the autonomic nervous system in children with a congenital heart defect. Large scale studies that measure both branches of the nervous system for prolonged periods of time in well-defined patient cohorts in various phases of childhood and adolescence are currently lacking. Pending such studies, there is not yet a good grasp on the extent and direction of sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic function in pediatric congenital heart disease. Longitudinal studies in homogenous patient groups linking autonomic nervous system function and clinical outcome are warranted. PMID:29367565

The metabolic role of the gut microbiota in health and rheumatic disease: mechanisms and interventions.

PubMed

Abdollahi-Roodsaz, Shahla; Abramson, Steven B; Scher, Jose U

2016-08-01

The role of the gut microbiome in animal models of inflammatory and autoimmune disease is now well established. The human gut microbiome is currently being studied as a potential modulator of the immune response in rheumatic disorders. However, the vastness and complexity of this host-microorganism interaction is likely to go well beyond taxonomic, correlative observations. In fact, most advances in the field relate to the functional and metabolic capabilities of these microorganisms and their influence on mucosal immunity and systemic inflammation. An intricate relationship between the microbiome and the diet of the host is now fully recognized, with the microbiota having an important role in the degradation of polysaccharides into active metabolites. This Review summarizes the current knowledge on the metabolic role of the microbiota in health and rheumatic disease, including the advances in pharmacomicrobiomics and its potential use in diagnostics, therapeutics and personalized medicine.

Papillary fibroelastomas: innocent bystanders or ignored culprits?

PubMed

Saloura, Vassiliki; Grivas, Petros D; Sarwar, A Bilal; Gorodin, Paulina; Ledley, Gary S

2009-05-01

Cardiac papillary fibroelastomas (PFEs) are the most common tumors of the cardiac valves and the third most common cardiac tumor. They are usually detected accidentally on echocardiography, but have the potential to manifest with catastrophic embolic phenomena, resulting in stroke and myocardial infarction. Echocardiography is currently the preferred diagnostic modality, while magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography are helpful in the differential diagnosis of cardiac tumors. The management of PFEs is empiric, as no large randomized trials have been conducted to support specific treatment guidelines. The treatment of choice for PFEs with high-risk features for peripheral embolization is surgical resection. Anticoagulation is recommended in patients who are poor surgical candidates or who refuse surgery, although its duration and intensity are debatable. This review summarizes current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of PFEs. It also highlights the need for large randomized clinical trials that would delineate more specific guidelines for managing PFEs with anticoagulation.

Current pathophysiological concepts and management of pulmonary hypertension.

PubMed

Lourenço, André P; Fontoura, Dulce; Henriques-Coelho, Tiago; Leite-Moreira, Adelino F

2012-03-22

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), increasingly recognized as a major health burden, remains underdiagnosed due mainly to the unspecific symptoms. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been extensively investigated. Pathophysiological knowledge derives mostly from experimental models. Paradoxically, common non-PAH PH forms remain largely unexplored. Drugs targeting lung vascular tonus became available during the last two decades, notwithstanding the disease progresses in many patients. The aim of this review is to summarize recent advances in epidemiology, pathophysiology and management with particular focus on associated myocardial and systemic compromise and experimental therapeutic possibilities. PAH, currently viewed as a panvasculopathy, is due to a crosstalk between endothelial and smooth muscle cells, inflammatory activation and altered subcellular pathways. Cardiac cachexia and right ventricular compromise are fundamental determinants of PH prognosis. Combined vasodilator therapy is already mainstay for refractory cases, but drugs directed at these new pathophysiological pathways may constitute a significant advance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oman's coral reefs: A unique ecosystem challenged by natural and man-related stresses and in need of conservation.

PubMed

Burt, J A; Coles, S; van Lavieren, H; Taylor, O; Looker, E; Samimi-Namin, K

2016-04-30

Oman contains diverse and abundant reef coral communities that extend along a coast that borders three environmentally distinct water bodies, with corals existing under unique and often stressful environmental conditions. In recent years Oman's reefs have undergone considerable change due to recurrent predatory starfish outbreaks, cyclone damage, harmful algal blooms, and other stressors. In this review we summarize current knowledge of the biology and status of corals in Oman, particularly in light of recent stressors and projected future threats, and examine current reef management practices. Oman's coral communities occur in marginal environmental conditions for reefs, and hence are quite vulnerable to anthropogenic effects. We recommend a focus on developing conservation-oriented coral research to guide proactive management and expansion of the number and size of designated protected areas in Oman, particularly those associated with critical coral habitat. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Neutropenia in the Newborn

PubMed Central

Maheshwari, Akhil

2013-01-01

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Review normal blood neutrophil concentrations and the clinical approach to neutropenia in the neonatal period. A literature search on neonatal neutropenia was performed using the databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus and the electronic archive of abstracts presented at the annual meetings of the Pediatric Academic Societies. RECENT FINDINGS This review summarizes current knowledge on the causes of neutropenia in premature and critically-ill neonates, focusing on common causes such as maternal hypertension, neonatal sepsis, twin-twin transfusion, alloimmunization, and hemolytic disease. The article provides a rational approach to diagnosis and treatment of neonatal neutropenia, including current evidence on the role of recombinant hematopoietic growth factors. SUMMARY Neutrophil counts should be carefully evaluated in premature and critically-ill neonates. Although neutropenia is usually benign and runs a self-limited course in most neonates, it can be prolonged and constitute a serious deficiency in antimicrobial defense in some infants. PMID:24322487

Plant Metabolomics: An Indispensable System Biology Tool for Plant Science.

PubMed

Hong, Jun; Yang, Litao; Zhang, Dabing; Shi, Jianxin

2016-06-01

As genomes of many plant species have been sequenced, demand for functional genomics has dramatically accelerated the improvement of other omics including metabolomics. Despite a large amount of metabolites still remaining to be identified, metabolomics has contributed significantly not only to the understanding of plant physiology and biology from the view of small chemical molecules that reflect the end point of biological activities, but also in past decades to the attempts to improve plant behavior under both normal and stressed conditions. Hereby, we summarize the current knowledge on the genetic and biochemical mechanisms underlying plant growth, development, and stress responses, focusing further on the contributions of metabolomics to practical applications in crop quality improvement and food safety assessment, as well as plant metabolic engineering. We also highlight the current challenges and future perspectives in this inspiring area, with the aim to stimulate further studies leading to better crop improvement of yield and quality.

Expert Panel Recommendations on Lower Urinary Tract Health of Women Across Their Life Span

PubMed Central

Losada, Liliana; Amundsen, Cindy L.; Ashton-Miller, James; Chai, Toby; Close, Clare; Damaser, Margot; DiSanto, Michael; Dmochowski, Roger; Fraser, Matthew O.; Kielb, Stephanie J.; Kuchel, George; Mueller, Elizabeth R.; Parker-Autry, Candace; Wolfe, Alan J.

2016-01-01

Abstract Urologic and kidney problems are common in women across their life span and affect their daily life, including physical activity, sexual relations, social life, and future health. Urological health in women is still understudied and the underlying mechanisms of female urological dysfunctions are not fully understood. The Society for Women's Health Research (SWHR®) recognized the need to have a roundtable discussion where researchers and clinicians would define the current state of knowledge, gaps, and recommendations for future research directions to transform women's urological health. This report summarizes the discussions, which focused on epidemiology, clinical presentation, basic science, prevention strategies, and efficacy of current therapies. Experts around the table agreed on a set of research, education, and policy recommendations that have the potential to dramatically increase awareness and improve women's urological health at all stages of life. PMID:27285829

The early fracture hematoma and its potential role in fracture healing.

PubMed

Kolar, Paula; Schmidt-Bleek, Katharina; Schell, Hanna; Gaber, Timo; Toben, Daniel; Schmidmaier, Gerhard; Perka, Carsten; Buttgereit, Frank; Duda, Georg N

2010-08-01

Research regarding the potency and potential of the fracture hematoma has begun to receive increasing attention. However, currently there is a paucity of relevant literature on the capability and composition of the fracture hematoma. This review briefly summarizes the regenerative fracture healing process and the close interplay between the skeletal and immune systems. The role of immune cells in wound healing is also discussed to clarify their involvement in immunological processes during regeneration. We attempt to describe the current state of knowledge regarding the fracture hematoma as the initial stage of the regenerative process of fracture healing. The review discusses how a better understanding of immune reactions in the hematoma may have implications for bone tissue engineering strategies. We conclude the review by emphasizing how additional investigations of the initial phase of healing will allow us to better differentiate between deleterious and beneficial aspects of inflammation, thereby facilitating improved fracture treatment strategies.

Leukodystrophies with late disease onset: an update.

PubMed

Köhler, Wolfgang

2010-06-01

Knowledge of the metabolic and genetic basis of known and previously unknown leukodystrophies is constantly increasing, opening new treatment options such as enzyme replacement or cell-based therapies. This brief review highlights some recent work, particularly emphasizing results from studies in adulthood leukodystrophies. Evidence from recent studies suggests increasing importance of metabolic dysfunctions, for example, in peroxisomal lipid metabolism or energy homeostasis, influencing axonal integrity and oligodendrocyte function and leading to white matter demyelination. In addition, diagnostic and therapeutic progress in metachromatic leukodystrophy, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, Krabbe diseases and other rare leukodystrophies with late onset are summarized. Better understanding of leukodystrophies in neurological routine practice is of crucial importance for differentiating between other white matter diseases such as toxic, inflammatory or vascular leukoencephalopathies. Many leukodystrophies are particularly important to recognize because specific treatments already exist or are currently under investigation. The article also provides an overview of currently known leukodystrophies in adulthood.

Long non-coding RNAs and their biological roles in plants.

PubMed

Liu, Xue; Hao, Lili; Li, Dayong; Zhu, Lihuang; Hu, Songnian

2015-06-01

With the development of genomics and bioinformatics, especially the extensive applications of high-throughput sequencing technology, more transcriptional units with little or no protein-coding potential have been discovered. Such RNA molecules are called non-protein-coding RNAs (npcRNAs or ncRNAs). Among them, long npcRNAs or ncRNAs (lnpcRNAs or lncRNAs) represent diverse classes of transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides. In recent years, the lncRNAs have been considered as important regulators in many essential biological processes. In plants, although a large number of lncRNA transcripts have been predicted and identified in few species, our current knowledge of their biological functions is still limited. Here, we have summarized recent studies on their identification, characteristics, classification, bioinformatics, resources, and current exploration of their biological functions in plants. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Alterations of brain activity in fibromyalgia patients.

PubMed

Sawaddiruk, Passakorn; Paiboonworachat, Sahattaya; Chattipakorn, Nipon; Chattipakorn, Siriporn C

2017-04-01

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome, characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain with diffuse tenderness at multiple tender points. Despite intense investigations, the pathophysiology of fibromyalgia remains elusive. Evidence shows that it could be due to changes in either the peripheral or central nervous system (CNS). For the CNS changes, alterations in the high brain area of fibromyalgia patients have been investigated but the definite mechanisms are still unclear. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Functional Magnetic Resonance (fMRI) have been used to gather evidence regarding the changes of brain morphologies and activities in fibromyalgia patients. Nevertheless, due to few studies, limited knowledge for alterations in brain activities in fibromyalgia is currently available. In this review, the changes in brain activity in various brain areas obtained from reports in fibromyalgia patients are comprehensively summarized. Changes of the grey matter in multiple regions such as the superior temporal gyrus, posterior thalamus, amygdala, basal ganglia, cerebellum, cingulate cortex, SII, caudate and putamen from the MRI as well as the increase of brain activities in the cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, somatosensory cortex, insula in fMRI studies are presented and discussed. Moreover, evidence from pharmacological interventions offering benefits for fibromyalgia patients by reducing brain activity is presented. Because of limited knowledge regarding the roles of brain activity alterations in fibromyalgia, this summarized review will encourage more future studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms involved in the brains of these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurobiology of comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol-use disorder

PubMed Central

Gilpin, N. W.; Weiner, J. L.

2016-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol-use disorder (AUD) are highly comorbid in humans. Although we have some understanding of the structural and functional brain changes that define each of these disorders, and how those changes contribute to the behavioral symptoms that define them, little is known about the neurobiology of comorbid PTSD and AUD, which may be due in part to a scarcity of adequate animal models for examining this research question. The goal of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the-science on comorbid PTSD and AUD. We summarize epidemiological data documenting the prevalence of this comorbidity, review what is known about the potential neurobiological basis for the frequent co-occurrence of PTSD and AUD and discuss successes and failures of past and current treatment strategies. We also review animal models that aim to examine comorbid PTSD and AUD, highlighting where the models parallel the human condition, and we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each model. We conclude by discussing key gaps in our knowledge and strategies for addressing them: in particular, we (1) highlight the need for better animal models of the comorbid condition and better clinical trial design, (2) emphasize the need for examination of subpopulation effects and individual differences and (3) urge cross-talk between basic and clinical researchers that is reflected in collaborative work with forward and reverse translational impact. PMID:27749004

(En)Gendering Knowledge: Feminists in Academe.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartman, Joan E., Ed.; Messer-Davidow, Ellen, Ed.

This book summarizes the major conceptual dilemmas facing feminist intellectuals in academia today. It shows how scholars in very different disciplines can draw on particularities of race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and voice to enrich and contextualize the knowledge they produce. Examined are agency, perspectives, value judgments,…

Knowledge representation and management: towards an integration of a semantic web in daily health practice.

PubMed

Griffon, N; Charlet, J; Darmoni, Sj

2013-01-01

To summarize the best papers in the field of Knowledge Representation and Management (KRM). A synopsis of the four selected articles for the IMIA Yearbook 2013 KRM section is provided, as well as highlights of current KRM trends, in particular, of the semantic web in daily health practice. The manual selection was performed in three stages: first a set of 3,106 articles, then a second set of 86 articles followed by a third set of 15 articles, and finally the last set of four chosen articles. Among the four selected articles (see Table 1), one focuses on knowledge engineering to prevent adverse drug events; the objective of the second is to propose mappings between clinical archetypes and SNOMED CT in the context of clinical practice; the third presents an ontology to create a question-answering system; the fourth describes a biomonitoring network based on semantic web technologies. These four articles clearly indicate that the health semantic web has become a part of daily practice of health professionals since 2012. In the review of the second set of 86 articles, the same topics included in the previous IMIA yearbook remain active research fields: Knowledge extraction, automatic indexing, information retrieval, natural language processing, management of health terminologies and ontologies.

Comparison of LISP and MUMPS as implementation languages for knowledge-based systems

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

Curtis, A.C.

1984-01-01

Major components of knowledge-based systems are summarized, along with the programming language features generally useful in their implementation. LISP and MUMPS are briefly described and compared as vehicles for building knowledge-based systems. The paper concludes with suggestions for extensions to MUMPS which might increase its usefulness in artificial intelligence applications without affecting the essential nature of the language. 8 references.

Understanding cardiovascular risk in hemophilia: A step towards prevention and management.

PubMed

Sousos, Nikolaos; Gavriilaki, Eleni; Vakalopoulou, Sofia; Garipidou, Vasileia

2016-04-01

Advances in hemophilia care have led to increased life expectancy and new challenges in the management of the aging hemophilia population, including cardiovascular risk. Despite the deep knowledge into cardiovascular disease in terms of pathophysiology, risk prediction, prevention, early detection and management gained over the last decades, studies in hemophiliacs are scarce and mainly descriptive. As a growing amount of evidence points towards a similar or increased prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors in hemophilia compared to the general population, the role of non-traditional, disease-related and treatment-related cardiovascular risk factors remains under investigation. Better understanding of cardiovascular risk in hemophilia is mandatory for proper cardiovascular risk prevention and management. Therefore, this review aims to summarize current knowledge on cardiovascular risk in hemophilia patients focusing on a) cardiovascular risk factors (traditional, non-traditional, disease-related and treatment-related), b) cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and c) cardiovascular prevention and management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Applying gene flow science to environmental policy needs: a boundary work perspective.

PubMed

Ridley, Caroline E; Alexander, Laurie C

2016-08-01

One application of gene flow science is the policy arena. In this article, we describe two examples in which the topic of gene flow has entered into the U.S. national environmental policymaking process: regulation of genetically engineered crops and clarification of the jurisdictional scope of the Clean Water Act. We summarize both current scientific understanding and the legal context within which gene flow science has relevance. We also discuss the process by which scientific knowledge has been synthesized and communicated to decision-makers in these two contexts utilizing the concept of 'boundary work'. Boundary organizations, the work they engage in to bridge the worlds of science, policy, and practice, and the boundary objects they produce to translate scientific knowledge existed in both examples. However, the specific activities and attributes of the objects produced varied based on the needs of the decision-makers. We close with suggestions for how scientists can contribute to or engage in boundary work with policymakers.

Consumer health plan choice: current knowledge and future directions.

PubMed

Scanlon, D P; Chernew, M; Lave, J R

1997-01-01

A keystone of the competitive strategy in health insurance markets is the assumption that "consumers" can make informed choices based on the costs and quality of competing health plans, and that selection effects are not large. However, little is known about how individuals use information other than price in the decision making process. This review summarizes the state of knowledge about how individuals make choices among health plans and outlines an agenda for future research. We find that the existing literature on health plan choice is no longer sufficient given the widespread growth and acceptance of managed care, and the increased proportion of consumers' income now going toward the purchase of health plans. Instead, today's environment of health plan choice requires better understanding of how plan attributes other than price influence plan choice, how other variables such as health status interact with plan attributes in the decision making process, and how specific populations differ from one another in terms of the sensitivity of their health plan choices to these different types of variables.

Bioaerosols from composting facilities—a review

PubMed Central

Wéry, Nathalie

2014-01-01

Bioaerosols generated at composting plants are released during processes that involve the vigorous movement of material such as shredding, compost pile turning, or compost screening. Such bioaerosols are a cause of concern because of their potential impact on both occupational health and the public living in close proximity to such facilities. The biological hazards potentially associated with bioaerosol emissions from composting activities include fungi, bacteria, endotoxin, and 1-3 β-glucans. There is a major lack of knowledge concerning the dispersal of airborne microorganisms emitted by composting plants as well as the potential exposure of nearby residents. This is due in part to the difficulty of tracing specifically these microorganisms in air. In recent years, molecular tools have been used to develop new tracers which should help in risk assessments. This review summarizes current knowledge of microbial diversity in composting aerosols and of the associated risks to health. It also considers methodologies introduced recently to enhance understanding of bioaerosol dispersal, including new molecular indicators and modeling. PMID:24772393

Vitamins and Microelement Bioavailability in Different Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

PubMed Central

Jankowska, Magdalena; Rutkowski, Bolesław; Dębska-Ślizień, Alicja

2017-01-01

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes one to either deficiency or toxic excess of different micronutrients. The knowledge on micronutrients—specifically water-soluble vitamins and trace elements—in CKD is very limited. Consequently, current guidelines and recommendations are mostly based on expert opinions or poor-quality evidence. Abnormalities of micronutrient resources in CKD develop for several reasons. Dietary restrictions and anorexia lead to an insufficient micronutrient intake, while diuretics use and renal replacement therapy lead to their excessive losses. Absorption is unpredictable, and metabolism impaired. Better understanding of the micronutrient needs of CKD patients could have an impact on many complications linked to vitamin and trace element disorders, including high mortality, increased risk of atherosclerosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, anemia, polyneuropathy, encephalopathy, weakness and fragility, muscle cramps, bone disease, depression, or insomnia. Here, we summarize the up-to-date knowledge on micronutrient resources in different stages of CKD, and share our experience with the assessment of micronutrient status. PMID:28294976

The molecular biology of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).

PubMed

Kenyon, Julia C; Lever, Andrew M L

2011-11-01

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) is widespread in feline populations and causes an AIDS-like illness in domestic cats. It is highly prevalent in several endangered feline species. In domestic cats FIV infection is a valuable small animal model for HIV infection. In recent years there has been sa significant increase in interest in FIV, in part to exploit this, but also because of the potential it has as a human gene therapy vector. Though much less studied than HIV there are many parallels in the replication of the two viruses, but also important differences and, despite their likely common origin, the viruses have in some cases used alternative strategies to overcome similar problems. Recent advances in understanding the structure and function of FIV RNA and proteins and their interactions has enhanced our knowledge of FIV replication significantly, however, there are still many gaps. This review summarizes our current knowledge of FIV molecular biology and its similarities with, and differences from, other lentiviruses.

Waking Up from Four Decades' Long Dream of Valorizing Agro-Food Byproducts: Toward Practical Applications of the Gained Knowledge.

PubMed

Domínguez-Perles, Raúl; Moreno, Diego A; García-Viguera, Cristina

2018-03-28

The late 1970s was the onset of literature about the first research outputs on alternatives to create added-value to agro-food byproducts focused on the reduction of the dependency on raw materials and, simultaneously, helping to reduce the environmental impacts of the agricultural activities. This trend, increased over the years and during the past decade, has been boosted by the growing concern of the socio-economic impact of wastes from agro-food activities, however, with little success of the proposed applications. Throughout four decades an array of studies have emerged, aimed to gain evidence on the relevance of innovation in the agro-food industry, as well as to overcome this situation. To our knowledge, only a few cases, summarized in the present perspective, represent the main alternatives currently available for the valorization of agro-food byproducts, with indications of some constraints that need to be addressed, in the coming years, to obtain a real profit from these products.