TOXICOPROTEOMICS AND ITS APPLICATION TO HUMAN HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Humans are exposed to a variety of environmental toxicants, and this together with a large number of interacting factors can contribute to an individual's risk for health. To understand the toxic mechanisms and/or modes of action for human health risk assessment, molecular charac...

Indicators of ocean health and human health: developing a research and monitoring framework.

PubMed Central

Knap, Anthony; Dewailly, Eric; Furgal, Chris; Galvin, Jennifer; Baden, Dan; Bowen, Robert E; Depledge, Michael; Duguay, Linda; Fleming, Lora E; Ford, Tim; Moser, Fredricka; Owen, Richard; Suk, William A; Unluata, Umit

2002-01-01

We need to critically assess the present quality of the marine ecosystem, especially the connection between ecosystem change and threats to human health. In this article we review the current state of indicators to link changes in marine organisms with eventual effects to human health, identify research opportunities in the use of indicators of ocean and human health, and discuss how to establish collaborations between national and international governmental and private sector groups. We present a synthesis of the present state of understanding of the connection between ocean health and human health, a discussion of areas where resources are required, and a discussion of critical research needs and a template for future work in this field. To understand fully the interactions between ocean health and human health, programs should be organized around a "models-based" approach focusing on critical themes and attributes of marine environmental and public health risks. Given the extent and complex nature of ocean and human health issues, a program networking across geographic and disciplinary boundaries is essential. The overall goal of this approach would be the early detection of potential marine-based contaminants, the protection of marine ecosystems, the prevention of associated human illness, and by implication, the development of products to enhance human well-being. The tight connection between research and monitoring is essential to develop such an indicator-based effort. PMID:12204815

Reflexivity and the "Acting Subject": Conceptualizing the Unit of Analysis in Qualitative Health Research.

PubMed

Shaw, James A

2016-07-06

The ways in which social scientists conceptualize the "reflexive" human subject have important consequences for how we go about our research. Whether and how we understand human subjects to be the authors of our own actions helps to structure what we say about health, health care, and the many other topics addressed in qualitative health research. In this article, I critically discuss assumptions of human reflexivity that are built into qualitative social science of health and medicine. I describe three alternative ways of understanding reflexive thought and human action derived from the theoretical works of Pierre Bourdieu, Bruno Latour, and George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, respectively. I then apply these three different ways of thinking about reflexivity and the acting subject to the analysis of an excerpt of participant observation data from a health services research study of transitions from hospital to home, illuminating the different kinds of analyses that arise from each perspective. I conclude with a call for social scientists to commit to the search for better ways of understanding the human subject, resisting the temptation to "settle" on theoretical statements that close down the path to more sophisticated conceptualizations of human thought and action. © The Author(s) 2016.

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

PubMed

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

2012-06-15

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

Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element Management Plan: Human Research Program. Revision B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norsk, Peter; Baumann, David

2012-01-01

NASA s Human Research Program (HRP) is an applied research and technology program within the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) that addresses human health and performance risk mitigation strategies in support of exploration missions. The HRP research and technology development is focused on the highest priority risks to crew health and safety with the goal of ensuring mission success and maintaining long-term crew health. Crew health and performance standards, defined by the NASA Chief Health and Medical Officer (CHMO), set the acceptable risk level for exploration missions. The HRP conducts research to inform these standards as well as provide deliverables, such as countermeasures, that ensure standards can be met to maximize human performance and mission success. The Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element was formed as part of the HRP to develop a scientifically-based, integrated approach to understanding and mitigating the health risks associated with human spaceflight. These health risks have been organized into four research portfolios that group similar or related risks. A fifth portfolio exists for managing technology developments and infrastructure projects. The HHC Element portfolios consist of: a) Vision and Cardiovascular; b) Exercise and Performance; c) Multisystem; d) Bone; and e) Technology and Infrastructure. The HHC identifies gaps associated with the health risks and plans human physiology research that will result in knowledge required to more fully understand risks and will result in validated countermeasures to mitigate risks.

UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AIR QUALITY AND HUMAN HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

This issue of EM presents a series of articles that focus on air quality and human health--what we know so far and the challenges that remain. The first article provides an overview of the problem at hand and approaches to properly address air quality and human health issues. Fo...

Human Research Program Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kundrot, Craig E.

2014-01-01

The goal of HRP is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. The Human Research Program was designed to meet the needs of human space exploration, and understand and reduce the risk to crew health and performance in exploration missions.

Alcohol Overdose: The Dangers of Drinking Too Much

MedlinePlus

... Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 . 7 ... Government Made Easy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health NIAAA: Understanding the ...

PARTICULATE MATTER AND HUMAN HEALTH: USING HUMAN STUDIES TO UNDERSTAND SUSCEPTIBILITY

EPA Science Inventory

The potential for experiencing adverse health effects from air pollution particulate matter (PM) exposure is an important public health issue. The World Health Organization has estimated that PM contributes to the deaths of 500,000 people world-wide each year. Epidemiologic stu...

Human rights principles in developing and updating policies and laws on mental health.

PubMed

Schulze, M

2016-01-01

The World Health Organization's Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2020 stipulates human rights as a cross-cutting principle (WHO, 2013) and foresees global targets to update policies as well as mental health laws in line with international and regional human rights instruments. The international human rights agreements repeatedly refer to health, including mental health. The most pertinent provisions related to mental health are enshrined in the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which sets out human rights in an accessible and inclusive fashion to ensure the equal participation of persons with disabilities. The inconclusive description of disability in the treaty overtly refers to 'mental impairment' as part of an explicitly evolving understanding of disability. This text sketches some of the underlying concepts as they apply to the realm of mental health: non-discrimination of persons with disabilities and measures that should be taken to ensure accessibility in a holistic understanding; removal of social and attitudinal barriers as much as communication and intellectual barriers but also institutional hurdles. The CRPD's paradigm shift away from framing disability mainly through deficits towards a social understanding of disability as the result of interaction and focusing on capacity is the core on which the provision of mental health services at community level to enable participation in society shall be ensured. Questions of capacity, also to make decisions and the possible need for support in so doing, are sketched out.

Assessing the Risks to Human Health in Heterogeneous Aquifers under Uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Barros, Felipe

2015-04-01

Reliable quantification of human health risk from toxic chemicals present in groundwater is a challenging task. The main difficulty relies on the fact that many of the components that constitute human health risk assessment are uncertain and requires interdisciplinary knowledge. Understanding the impact from each of these components in risk estimation can provide guidance for decision makers to manage contaminated sites and best allocate resources towards minimal prediction uncertainty. This presentation will focus on the impact of aquifer heterogeneity in human health risk. Spatial heterogeneity of the hydrogeological properties can lead to the formation of preferential flow channels which control the plume spreading rates and travel time statistics, both which are critical in assessing the risk level. By making use of an integrated hydrogeological-health stochastic framework, the significance of characteristic length scales (e.g. characterizing flow, transport and sampling devices) in both controlling the uncertainty of health risk and determining data needs is highlighted. Through a series of examples, we show how fundamental knowledge on the main physical mechanisms affecting solute pathways are necessary to understand the human health response to varying drivers.

42 CFR 65a.1 - To what programs do these regulations apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Section 65a.1 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS... understanding, assessing, and attenuating the adverse effects on human health resulting from exposure to...-biomedical research project in the fields of ecology, hydrogeology, and/or engineering, and including the...

42 CFR 65a.1 - To what programs do these regulations apply?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Section 65a.1 Public Health PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FELLOWSHIPS... understanding, assessing, and attenuating the adverse effects on human health resulting from exposure to...-biomedical research project in the fields of ecology, hydrogeology, and/or engineering, and including the...

Biomarkers - Key to Exposure Reconstruction

EPA Science Inventory

The goal of environmental health science is to understand the interplay between environment and humans in order to evaluate the effects of human activities on the environment, as well as to evaluate the effects of various aspects of the environment on human health. When investig...

Healthy soils healthy people: Unraveling the complexity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The linkage between soil and human health is undoubtedly a complex and multidisciplinary issue. The recognition that soil can influence human health is not a novelty; it has been recognized scientifically for decades. However, the advancement in understanding soil health/quality has renewed interest...

Bisphenol A

MedlinePlus

... there is still uncertainty about some links between human health effects and exposure to endocrine disruptors. Both the ... to understand exactly how current findings relate to human health and development, according to the U.S. Food and ...

Evolution of the scientific basis for dentistry and its impact on dental education: past, present, and future.

PubMed

Slavkin, Harold C

2012-01-01

Science is the fuel for technology and the foundation for understanding the human condition. In dental education, as in all health professions, science informs a basic understanding of development, is essential to understand the structure and function of biological systems, and is prerequisite to understand and perform diagnostics, therapeutics, and clinical outcomes in the treatment of diseases and disorders. During the last seventy-five years, biomedical science has transformed from discipline-based scientists working on a problem to multidisciplinary research teams working to solve complex problems of significance to the larger society. Over these years, we witnessed the convergence of the biological and digital revolutions with clinical health care in medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health care professional education. Biomedical science informs our understanding, from human genes and their functions to populations, health disparities, and the biosphere. Science is a "way of knowing," an international enterprise, a prerequisite for the health professions, and a calling and adventure to the curious mind. Science, the activity of doing science, is in the national self-interest, in the defense of a nation, and critical to the improvement of the human condition. In the words of Vannevar Bush, "science is the endless frontier."

Understanding the Role of Medical Experts during a Public Health Crisis Digital Tools and Library Resources for Research on the 1918 Spanish Influenza.

PubMed

Ewing, E Thomas; Gad, Samah; Ramakrishnan, Naren; Reznick, Jeffrey S

2014-10-01

Humanities scholars, particularly historians of health and disease, can benefit from digitized library collections and tools such as topic modeling. Using a case study from the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, this paper explores the application of a big humanities approach to understanding the impact of a public health official on the course of the disease and the response of the public, as documented through digitized newspapers and medical periodicals.

Toward a better understanding of the impact of mass transit air pollutants on human health.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kumar, Pawan; Szulejko, Jan E; Adelodun, Adedeji A; Junaid, Muhammad Faisal; Uchimiya, Minori; Chambers, Scott

2017-05-01

Globally, modern mass transport systems whether by road, rail, water, or air generate airborne pollutants in both developing and developed nations. Air pollution is the primary human health concern originating from modern transportation, particularly in densely-populated urban areas. This review will specifically focus on the origin and the health impacts of carbonaceous traffic-related air pollutants (TRAP), including particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and elemental carbon (EC). We conclude that the greatest current challenge regarding urban TRAP is understanding and evaluating the human health impacts well enough to set appropriate pollution control measures. Furthermore, we provide a detailed discussion regarding the effects of TRAP on local environments and pedestrian health in low and high traffic-density environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The interface of mental health and human rights in Indigenous peoples: triple jeopardy and triple opportunity.

PubMed

Tarantola, Daniel

2007-01-01

Insufficient understanding of the reciprocal interactions between health and human rights, mental health and human rights and the realization of all human rights by Indigenous peoples constitute a triple jeopardy in how these topics are currently being addressed and/or openly antagonized. This paper will attempt to show how a combined health and human rights approach to mental health in Indigenous peoples can transform a triple jeopardy into a triple opportunity. The vast and growing body of literature on mental health, health as a whole, and human rights as these relate to health and to Indigenous peoples will be used to frame the discussion. Attention to the complex interactions of health and human rights can guide policy formulation and action by offering a method of analysis, a process of participatory decision and a framework for accountability. In addition, mental health can find its rightful place in the health and human rights discourse through efforts to help policymakers and practitioners broaden their vision of mental illness to holistically encompass aspects of physical, social, emotional and cultural wellbeing. Finally, connecting the role that rights realization plays in determining health and wellbeing will add power to the rightful claims by Indigenous peoples to the promotion and protection of all their human rights--civil, political, economic, social and cultural. Broadening the research agenda by applying systematically a health and human rights analytical framework to the understanding of social determinants of health would minimize the risk of assigning health outcome merely to behaviours, practices and lifestyles, uncovering structural determinants of holistic health entrenched in policies and governmental conduct. Building the evidence of the negative impact of human rights violation on health and the negative impact of ill-health on the fulfilment of other human rights can help in designing comprehensive interventions, building on the synergy between the promotion of health and the promotion of rights. A way forward is proposed for which it is essential that work be carried out across ethnic lines and professional boundaries to further advance the claim of Indigenous peoples for better health and greater enjoyment of human rights.

Garlic Influences Gene Expression In Vivo and In Vitro.

PubMed

Charron, Craig S; Dawson, Harry D; Novotny, Janet A

2016-02-01

There is a large body of preclinical research aimed at understanding the roles of garlic and garlic-derived preparations in the promotion of human health. Most of this research has targeted the possible functions of garlic in maintaining cardiovascular health and in preventing and treating cancer. A wide range of outcome variables has been used to investigate the bioactivity of garlic, ranging from direct measures of health status such as cholesterol concentrations, blood pressure, and changes in tumor size and number, to molecular and biochemical measures such as mRNA gene expression, protein concentration, enzyme activity, and histone acetylation status. Determination of how garlic influences mRNA gene expression has proven to be a valuable approach to elucidating the mechanisms of garlic bioactivity. Preclinical studies investigating the health benefits of garlic far outnumber human studies and have made frequent use of mRNA gene expression measurement. There is an immediate need to understand mRNA gene expression in humans as well. Although safety and ethical constraints limit the types of available human tissue, peripheral whole blood is readily accessible, and measuring mRNA gene expression in whole blood may provide a unique window to understanding how garlic intake affects human health. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Climate change and human health: a One Health approach.

PubMed

Patz, Jonathan A; Hahn, Micah B

2013-01-01

Climate change adds complexity and uncertainty to human health issues such as emerging infectious diseases, food security, and national sustainability planning that intensify the importance of interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Collaboration between veterinary, medical, and public health professionals to understand the ecological interactions and reactions to flux in a system can facilitate clearer understanding of climate change impacts on environmental, animal, and human health. Here we present a brief introduction to climate science and projections for the next century and a review of current knowledge on the impacts of climate-driven environmental change on human health. We then turn to the links between ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change and health. The literature on climate impacts on biological systems is rich in both content and historical data, but the connections between these changes and human health is less understood. We discuss five mechanisms by which climate changes impacts on biological systems will be felt by the human population: Modifications in Vector, Reservoir, and Pathogen Lifecycles; Diseases of Domestic and Wild Animals and Plants; Disruption of Synchrony Between Interacting Species; Trophic Cascades; and Alteration or Destruction of Habitat. Each species responds to environmental changes differently, and in order to predict the movement of disease through ecosystems, we have to rely on expertise from the fields of veterinary, medical, and public health, and these health professionals must take into account the dynamic nature of ecosystems in a changing climate.

The portrayal of natural environment in the evolution of the ecological public health paradigm.

PubMed

Coutts, Christopher; Forkink, Annet; Weiner, Jocelyn

2014-01-10

This paper explores the conceptualization of the natural environment in an evolving ecological public health paradigm. The natural environment has long been recognized as essential to supporting life, health, and wellbeing. Our understanding of the relationship between the natural environment and health has steadily evolved from one of an undynamic environment to a more sophisticated understanding of ecological interactions.  This evolution is reflected in a number of ecological public health models which demonstrate the many external and overlapping determinants of human health. Six models are presented here to demonstrate this evolution, each model reflecting an increasingly ecological appreciation for the fundamental role of the natural environment in supporting human health. We conclude that after decades of public health's acceptance of the ecological paradigm, we are only now beginning to assemble knowledge of sophisticated ecological interdependencies and apply this knowledge to the conceptualization and study of the relationship between the natural environment and the determinants of human health.

Developing Hydrogeological Site Characterization Strategies based on Human Health Risk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Barros, F.; Rubin, Y.; Maxwell, R. M.

2013-12-01

In order to provide better sustainable groundwater quality management and minimize the impact of contamination in humans, improved understanding and quantification of the interaction between hydrogeological models, geological site information and human health are needed. Considering the joint influence of these components in the overall human health risk assessment and the corresponding sources of uncertainty aid decision makers to better allocate resources in data acquisition campaigns. This is important to (1) achieve remediation goals in a cost-effective manner, (2) protect human health and (3) keep water supplies clean in order to keep with quality standards. Such task is challenging since a full characterization of the subsurface is unfeasible due to financial and technological constraints. In addition, human exposure and physiological response to contamination are subject to uncertainty and variability. Normally, sampling strategies are developed with the goal of reducing uncertainty, but less often they are developed in the context of their impacts on the overall system uncertainty. Therefore, quantifying the impact from each of these components (hydrogeological, behavioral and physiological) in final human health risk prediction can provide guidance for decision makers to best allocate resources towards minimal prediction uncertainty. In this presentation, a multi-component human health risk-based framework is presented which allows decision makers to set priorities through an information entropy-based visualization tool. Results highlight the role of characteristic length-scales characterizing flow and transport in determining data needs within an integrated hydrogeological-health framework. Conditions where uncertainty reduction in human health risk predictions may benefit from better understanding of the health component, as opposed to a more detailed hydrogeological characterization, are also discussed. Finally, results illustrate how different dose-response models can impact the probability of human health risk exceeding a regulatory threshold.

Frameworks matter: ecosocial and health and human rights perspectives on disparities in women's health--the case of tuberculosis.

PubMed

Krieger, N; Gruskin, S

2001-01-01

Frameworks matter. To understand, intervene in, and improve the health of girls and women requires more than just good intentions and an eclectic list of "risk factors" or policy prescriptions, even if dressed up in notions of "gender." In this article, we present two frameworks-ecosocial and health and human rights-that, if considered singly and in combination, we believe could prove useful to furthering work on understanding and addressing societal patterns of health, disease, and well-being. After explicitly summarizing our theoretical stances, we sketch the kinds of questions these frameworks invite us to consider, with reference to a particular case example: women and tuberculosis. By taking on the challenge of articulating and applying our frameworks, separately and in relation to each other, we hope to deepen understanding and generate new ideas that can make a difference for the health of girls and women.

Centers for Oceans and Human Health: a unified approach to the challenge of harmful algal blooms

PubMed Central

Erdner, Deana L; Dyble, Julianne; Parsons, Michael L; Stevens, Richard C; Hubbard, Katherine A; Wrabel, Michele L; Moore, Stephanie K; Lefebvre, Kathi A; Anderson, Donald M; Bienfang, Paul; Bidigare, Robert R; Parker, Micaela S; Moeller, Peter; Brand, Larry E; Trainer, Vera L

2008-01-01

Background Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are one focus of the national research initiatives on Oceans and Human Health (OHH) at NIEHS, NOAA and NSF. All of the OHH Centers, from the east coast to Hawaii, include one or more research projects devoted to studying HAB problems and their relationship to human health. The research shares common goals for understanding, monitoring and predicting HAB events to protect and improve human health: understanding the basic biology of the organisms; identifying how chemistry, hydrography and genetic diversity influence blooms; developing analytical methods and sensors for cells and toxins; understanding health effects of toxin exposure; and developing conceptual, empirical and numerical models of bloom dynamics. Results In the past several years, there has been significant progress toward all of the common goals. Several studies have elucidated the effects of environmental conditions and genetic heterogeneity on bloom dynamics. New methods have been developed or implemented for the detection of HAB cells and toxins, including genetic assays for Pseudo-nitzschia and Microcystis, and a biosensor for domoic acid. There have been advances in predictive models of blooms, most notably for the toxic dinoflagellates Alexandrium and Karenia. Other work is focused on the future, studying the ways in which climate change may affect HAB incidence, and assessing the threat from emerging HABs and toxins, such as the cyanobacterial neurotoxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine. Conclusion Along the way, many challenges have been encountered that are common to the OHH Centers and also echo those of the wider HAB community. Long-term field data and basic biological information are needed to develop accurate models. Sensor development is hindered by the lack of simple and rapid assays for algal cells and especially toxins. It is also critical to adequately understand the human health effects of HAB toxins. Currently, we understand best the effects of acute toxicity, but almost nothing is known about the effects of chronic, subacute toxin exposure. The OHH initiatives have brought scientists together to work collectively on HAB issues, within and across regions. The successes that have been achieved highlight the value of collaboration and cooperation across disciplines, if we are to continue to advance our understanding of HABs and their relationship to human health. PMID:19025673

What about using pesticides if I am pregnant or have a baby?

Science.gov Websites

? Related Topics: Pesticides and Human Health Pesticides and Pregnancy Pesticides and Children Understanding @ace.orst.edu. Last updated January 27, 2016 Related Topics: Pesticides and Human Health Pesticides and ; Environment Human Health Animal Health Safe Use Practices Food Safety Environment Air Water Soil Wildlife

78 FR 49750 - FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel; Notice of Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-15

... Panel (FIFRA SAP) to consider and review RNAi Technology as a Pesticide: Problem Formulation for Human... one or more of the following areas: Ecological risk assessment Human health risk assessment... understand the scientific issues concerning the assessment of the risks to human health and the environment...

Help for Mental Illnesses

MedlinePlus

... website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers resources to help answer questions about insurance coverage for mental health care. Participate in a Clinical ... diagnose, and understand human disease. Clinical trials can also look at other ...

Cyanobacteria: State Monitoring Programs, Beach Closures, and Potential Human Health Risks

EPA Science Inventory

New England is rich in freshwater lakes and ponds, many of which are subject to cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms that can limit recreational use and cause health problems. This study was conducted to better understand the health risks to human and animal populations that a...

75 FR 5329 - Agency Information Collection Request. 60-Day Public Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-02

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Document Identifier: OS-0990-New] Agency Information... Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed... Health Record (Patient Perceptions of EHR) Study is to help policymakers understand how primary care...

Evolutionary Medicine: The Ongoing Evolution of Human Physiology and Metabolism.

PubMed

Rühli, Frank; van Schaik, Katherine; Henneberg, Maciej

2016-11-01

The field of evolutionary medicine uses evolutionary principles to understand changes in human anatomy and physiology that have occurred over time in response to environmental changes. Through this evolutionary-based approach, we can understand disease as a consequence of anatomical and physiological "trade-offs" that develop to facilitate survival and reproduction. We demonstrate how diachronic study of human anatomy and physiology is fundamental for an increased understanding of human health and disease. ©2016 Int. Union Physiol. Sci./Am. Physiol. Soc.

Why do health labour market forces matter?

PubMed Central

McPake, Barbara; Araújo, Edson Correia; Lemiere, Christophe; El Maghraby, Atef; Cometto, Giorgio

2013-01-01

Abstract Human resources for health have been recognized as essential to the development of responsive and effective health systems. Low- and middle-income countries seeking to achieve universal health coverage face human resource constraints – whether in the form of health worker shortages, maldistribution of workers or poor worker performance – that seriously undermine their ability to achieve well-functioning health systems. Although much has been written about the human resource crisis in the health sector, labour economic frameworks have seldom been applied to analyse the situation and little is known or understood about the operation of labour markets in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional approaches to addressing human resource constraints have focused on workforce planning: estimating health workforce requirements based on a country’s epidemiological and demographic profile and scaling up education and training capacities to narrow the gap between the “needed” number of health workers and the existing number. However, this approach neglects other important factors that influence human resource capacity, including labour market dynamics and the behavioural responses and preferences of the health workers themselves. This paper describes how labour market analysis can contribute to a better understanding of the factors behind human resource constraints in the health sector and to a more effective design of policies and interventions to address them. The premise is that a better understanding of the impact of health policies on health labour markets, and subsequently on the employment conditions of health workers, would be helpful in identifying an effective strategy towards the progressive attainment of universal health coverage. PMID:24347708

The Portrayal of Natural Environment in the Evolution of the Ecological Public Health Paradigm

PubMed Central

Coutts, Christopher; Forkink, Annet; Weiner, Jocelyn

2014-01-01

This paper explores the conceptualization of the natural environment in an evolving ecological public health paradigm. The natural environment has long been recognized as essential to supporting life, health, and wellbeing. Our understanding of the relationship between the natural environment and health has steadily evolved from one of an undynamic environment to a more sophisticated understanding of ecological interactions. This evolution is reflected in a number of ecological public health models which demonstrate the many external and overlapping determinants of human health. Six models are presented here to demonstrate this evolution, each model reflecting an increasingly ecological appreciation for the fundamental role of the natural environment in supporting human health. We conclude that after decades of public health’s acceptance of the ecological paradigm, we are only now beginning to assemble knowledge of sophisticated ecological interdependencies and apply this knowledge to the conceptualization and study of the relationship between the natural environment and the determinants of human health. PMID:24434596

We Are Not Alone: The iMOP Initiative and Its Roles in a Biology- and Disease-Driven Human Proteome Project.

PubMed

Tholey, Andreas; Taylor, Nicolas L; Heazlewood, Joshua L; Bendixen, Emøke

2017-12-01

Mapping of the human proteome has advanced significantly in recent years and will provide a knowledge base to accelerate our understanding of how proteins and protein networks can affect human health and disease. However, providing solutions to human health challenges will likely fail if insights are exclusively based on studies of human samples and human proteomes. In recent years, it has become evident that human health depends on an integrated understanding of the many species that make human life possible. These include the commensal microorganisms that are essential to human life, pathogens, and food species as well as the classic model organisms that enable studies of biological mechanisms. The Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) initiative on multiorganism proteomes (iMOP) works to support proteome research undertaken on nonhuman species that remain widely under-studied compared with the progress in human proteome research. This perspective argues the need for further research on multiple species that impact human life. We also present an update on recent progress in model organisms, microbiota, and food species, address the emerging problem of antibiotics resistance, and outline how iMOP activities could lead to a more inclusive approach for the human proteome project (HPP) to better support proteome research aimed at improving human health and furthering knowledge on human biology.

76 FR 22714 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Health Information National Trends Survey 4 (HINTS 4) (NCI)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

... questions with inquiries into the communication channels through which understanding is being obtained, and... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Proposed Collection; Comment... content of the survey will focus on understanding the degree to which members of the general population...

Human health impacts of ecosystem alteration.

PubMed

Myers, Samuel S; Gaffikin, Lynne; Golden, Christopher D; Ostfeld, Richard S; Redford, Kent H; Ricketts, Taylor H; Turner, Will R; Osofsky, Steven A

2013-11-19

Human activity is rapidly transforming most of Earth's natural systems. How this transformation is impacting human health, whose health is at greatest risk, and the magnitude of the associated disease burden are relatively new subjects within the field of environmental health. We discuss what is known about the human health implications of changes in the structure and function of natural systems and propose that these changes are affecting human health in a variety of important ways. We identify several gaps and limitations in the research that has been done to date and propose a more systematic and comprehensive approach to applied research in this field. Such efforts could lead to a more robust understanding of the human health impacts of accelerating environmental change and inform decision making in the land-use planning, environmental conservation, and public health policy realms.

Human health impacts of ecosystem alteration

PubMed Central

Myers, Samuel S.; Gaffikin, Lynne; Golden, Christopher D.; Ostfeld, Richard S.; H. Redford, Kent; H. Ricketts, Taylor; Turner, Will R.; Osofsky, Steven A.

2013-01-01

Human activity is rapidly transforming most of Earth’s natural systems. How this transformation is impacting human health, whose health is at greatest risk, and the magnitude of the associated disease burden are relatively new subjects within the field of environmental health. We discuss what is known about the human health implications of changes in the structure and function of natural systems and propose that these changes are affecting human health in a variety of important ways. We identify several gaps and limitations in the research that has been done to date and propose a more systematic and comprehensive approach to applied research in this field. Such efforts could lead to a more robust understanding of the human health impacts of accelerating environmental change and inform decision making in the land-use planning, environmental conservation, and public health policy realms. PMID:24218556

A review on recent progress in observations, and health effects of bioaerosols.

PubMed

Humbal, Charmi; Gautam, Sneha; Trivedi, Ujwalkumar

2018-06-06

Bioaerosol is a particulate mixture of solid and semi-solid matter combined with biotic matter like pollens, microbes and their fragments. The present review stresses on a cumulative understanding of sources, components, quantification and distribution of bioaerosols with respect to size, and its significant impacts on human health. The present review will be instrumental in devising strategies to understand and manage bioaerosols and reducing their human exposure and associated health hazards. The present review aims explore the relationship between particle and associated biological agents responsible for behaviours like dispersal, total potential health hazards and toxicology level during exposure to bioaerosol. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

77 FR 5012 - Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPP-2011-0038; FRL-9328-7] Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Agriculture; Memorandum of Understanding Regarding... Department of Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). HHS's Centers for Disease...

Learning from our apartheid past: human rights challenges for health professionals in contemporary South Africa.

PubMed

Baldwin-Ragaven, L; London, L; De Gruchy, J

2000-01-01

Central to South Africa's democratic transformation have been attempts to understand how and why human rights abuses were common under apartheid. In testimony to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission evidence has emerged of a wide range of past complicity in human rights abuses by health professionals and their organisations. This has presented a major challenge to the health sector to develop ways to operationalize a commitment to human rights in the future. This paper argues that only after a process of self-reflection, both personal and institutional, which enables a thorough and accurate analysis of why things went so wrong, can the health sector effectively move forward. The authors' perspective draws on the submission to the TRC Health Sector Hearings by the Health and Human Rights Project in 1997, which provides a systemic and case-based analysis of the health sector's role in human rights abuses under apartheid. However, human rights responses have to take account of a changing national and global terrain in which human rights issues are no longer as morally absolute as previously encountered, and in which seemingly insuperable resource constraints, inimical economic policies, and the demobilization of civil society, are serious obstacles. Moreover, the politics of transformation has generated expediencies that threaten to rewrite history in ways that fundamentally cheapen human rights. To address this contradiction, the authors propose a set of objectives that places accountability of health professionals in a human rights framework. These objectives are intended to give substance to the main tasks facing the health sector--to develop and infuse the capacity to recognise and integrate both the 'new' and traditional human rights dilemmas, and to effect personal and institutional transformation. A matrix is presented, linking these objectives to key role players in the health sector and identifying activities specific for each role player. As the health sector in South Africa grapples with the challenges framed in this model, key lessons for the international community may emerge that further our understanding of the complex relationship between health and human rights and how best to implement strategies for the attainment of human rights in health.

Gender, health, and human rights in sites of political exclusion.

PubMed

Laurie, M; Petchesky, R P

2008-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the intersections of gender, health and human rights in sites of political exclusion. We apply the political theory of Giorgio Agamben on 'states of exception', seeking to better understand how the recent 'war on terror', that seemingly knows no limits of time or space, is driving health outcomes in refugee and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. Reproductive health, militarization, and gender-based violence in camps are explored in depth. The evidence presented reveals a number of contradictions of refugee and IDP camps, further highlighting the need for a more rights based humanitarianism. We conclude that foregrounding states of exception, as a way of understanding current gender dynamics in the social determinants of health, is both epidemiologically necessary and conceptually useful. We find that, in these sites of exclusion, the indispensability of a human rights approach to gender and health equity issues is revealed most directly. Furthermore, we are able to make new connections between the 'crisis of humanitarianism', gender, and health.

Race and Ethnicity in the Genome Era: The Complexity of the Constructs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonham, Vence L.; Warshauer-Baker, Esther; Collins, Francis S.

2005-01-01

The vast amount of biological information that is now available through the completion of the Human Genome Project presents opportunities and challenges. The genomic era has the potential to advance an understanding of human genetic variation and its role in human health and disease. A challenge for genomics research is to understand the…

Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1990 to the DOE Office of Energy Research

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

Park, J.F.

This report summarizes progress on OHER human health, biological, and general life sciences research programs conducted at PNL in FY 1990. The research develops the knowledge and scientific principles necessary to identify understand, and anticipate the long-term health consequences of energy-related radiation and chemicals. Our continuing emphasis is to decrease the uncertainty of health risk estimates from existing and developing energy-related technologies through an increased of understanding of how radiation and chemicals cause biological damage. The sequence of this report of PNL research reflects the OHER programmatic structure. The first section, on human health research, concerns epidemiological and statistical studiesmore » for assessing health risks. The next section contains reports of biological research in laboratory animals and in vitro cell systems, including research with radionuclides and chemicals. The general life sciences research section reports research conducted for the OHER human genome research program.« less

75 FR 17423 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0004] [FDA 225-10-0007] Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration, United States...) is providing notice of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the FDA, U.S. Department of Health...

Motivating employees through incentives: productive or a counterproductive strategy.

PubMed

Qayum, Mehran; Sawal, Shefa Haider; Khan, Hassan Mehmood

2014-05-01

The disparity between human resource in health and provision of health services is a growing concern worldwide. Many developing countries are facing this crisis and therefore human resource in health is considered a high priority on their agenda.This imbalance between supplies of human resource is exacerbated by migration of health workers in many countries. Understanding the motivational factor is an important aspect to retain the migrating health workforce. This paper analyses the role of financial and non financial incentives in motivating the health work force. A review of available literature was conducted to understand the role of motivational factor in retaining health workforce. A review of current literature found that an incentive plays a key role in motivating a health worker. Financial incentives are useful in improving the compliance to standard policies and procedures. Comprehensive integrated incentive system approach should be established to develop a sustainable health workforce with required skill. Likewise monetary incentives should be linked to adherence to provincial and national guidelines and procedures. Sustainability could be ensured by commitment of government, political will and involvement of key stakeholders and decision makers.

Occupational Space Medicine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tarver, William J.

2012-01-01

Learning Objectives are: (1) Understand the unique work environment of astronauts. (2) Understand the effect microgravity has on human physiology (3) Understand how NASA Space Medicine Division is mitigating the health risks of space missions.

GENOMICS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Science Inventory

Genomics information has great potential to enhance assessment of risks to human health and the environment, and consequently, will have significant implications for EPA. Although understanding genomic responses with respect to adverse ecological and/or human health outcomes is n...

Evaluating uncertainty to strengthen epidemiologic data for use in human health risk assessments

EPA Science Inventory

Background: There is a recognized need to improve the application of epidemiologic data in human health risk assessment especially for understanding and characterizing risks from environmental and occupational exposures. While most epidemiologic studies result in uncertainty, tec...

A Review of Frameworks for Developing Environmental Health Indicators for Climate Change and Health

PubMed Central

Hambling, Tammy; Weinstein, Philip; Slaney, David

2011-01-01

The role climate change may play in altering human health, particularly in the emergence and spread of diseases, is an evolving area of research. It is important to understand this relationship because it will compound the already significant burden of diseases on national economies and public health. Authorities need to be able to assess, anticipate, and monitor human health vulnerability to climate change, in order to plan for, or implement action to avoid these eventualities. Environmental health indicators (EHIs) provide a tool to assess, monitor, and quantify human health vulnerability, to aid in the design and targeting of interventions, and measure the effectiveness of climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. Our aim was to identify the most suitable framework for developing EHIs to measure and monitor the impacts of climate change on human health and inform the development of interventions. Using published literature we reviewed the attributes of 11 frameworks. We identified the Driving force-Pressure-State-Exposure-Effect-Action (DPSEEA) framework as the most suitable one for developing EHIs for climate change and health. We propose the use of EHIs as a valuable tool to assess, quantify, and monitor human health vulnerability, design and target interventions, and measure the effectiveness of climate change adaptation and mitigation activities. In this paper, we lay the groundwork for the future development of EHIs as a multidisciplinary approach to link existing environmental and epidemiological data and networks. Analysis of such data will contribute to an enhanced understanding of the relationship between climate change and human health. PMID:21845162

One Health – a strategy for resilience in a changing arctic

PubMed Central

Ruscio, Bruce A.; Brubaker, Michael; Glasser, Joshua; Hueston, Will; Hennessy, Thomas W.

2015-01-01

The circumpolar north is uniquely vulnerable to the health impacts of climate change. While international Arctic collaboration on health has enhanced partnerships and advanced the health of inhabitants, significant challenges lie ahead. One Health is an approach that considers the connections between the environment, plant, animal and human health. Understanding this is increasingly critical in assessing the impact of global climate change on the health of Arctic inhabitants. The effects of climate change are complex and difficult to predict with certainty. Health risks include changes in the distribution of infectious disease, expansion of zoonotic diseases and vectors, changing migration patterns, impacts on food security and changes in water availability and quality, among others. A regional network of diverse stakeholder and transdisciplinary specialists from circumpolar nations and Indigenous groups can advance the understanding of complex climate-driven health risks and provide community-based strategies for early identification, prevention and adaption of health risks in human, animals and environment. We propose a regional One Health approach for assessing interactions at the Arctic human–animal–environment interface to enhance the understanding of, and response to, the complexities of climate change on the health of the Arctic inhabitants. PMID:26333722

One Health Perspectives on Emerging Public Health Threats

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Antimicrobial resistance and emerging infectious diseases, including avian influenza, Ebola virus disease, and Zika virus disease have significantly affected humankind in recent years. In the premodern era, no distinction was made between animal and human medicine. However, as medical science developed, the gap between human and animal science grew deeper. Cooperation among human, animal, and environmental sciences to combat emerging public health threats has become an important issue under the One Health Initiative. Herein, we presented the history of One Health, reviewed current public health threats, and suggested opportunities for the field of public health through better understanding of the One Health paradigm. PMID:29207450

Application of the Aggregate Exposure Pathway and Adverse Outcome Pathway frameworks to advance cumulative risk assessment by integrating human health and ecological endpoints

EPA Science Inventory

Evaluating risk of adverse outcomes from chemical exposure is essential for understanding the impacts of environmental contaminants. While human health outcomes are of primary concern and are often the focus of risk assessments, important non-human species are also exposed to co...

The Application of NASA Remote Sensing Technology to Human Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watts, C. T.

2007-01-01

With the help of satellites, the Earth's environment can be monitored from a distance. Earth observing satellites and sensors collect data and survey patterns that supply important information about the environment relating to its affect on human health. Combined with ground data, such patterns and remote sensing data can be essential to public health applications. Remote sensing technology is providing information that can help predict factors that affect human health, such as disease, drought, famine, and floods. A number of public health concerns that affect Earth's human population are part of the current National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Science Applications Plan to provide remotely gathered data to public health decision-makers to aid in forming and implementing policy to protect human health and preserve well-being. These areas of concern are: air quality; water quality; weather and climate change; infectious, zoonotic, and vector-borne disease; sunshine; food resource security; and health risks associated with the built environment. Collaborations within the Earth Science Applications Plan join local, state, national, or global organizations and agencies as partners. These partnerships engage in projects that strive to understand the connection between the environment and health. The important outcome is to put this understanding to use through enhancement of decision support tools that aid policy and management decisions on environmental health risks. Future plans will further employ developed models in formats that are compatible and accessible to all public health organizations.

Urbanisation and human health in China: spatial features and a systemic perspective.

PubMed

Li, Xinhu; Wang, Cuiping; Zhang, Guoqin; Xiao, Lishan; Dixon, Jane

2012-06-01

Current studies have paid little attention to the dynamism in urban spatial expansion and its possible environmental and health effects or to the health effects of rapid urban environmental change at different points along the urbanisation gradient. This study adopts a public health ecology approach to systematically understand the relationship between urbanisation, urban environmental change and human health in China. Remote sensing image analysis, based on night light data at five different time periods in recent decades, was used to determine changes to the overall urban area. Through a review of the evidence on the relationships between environmental health, urbanisation and health, we advance a pathway framework for explaining urban human health ecology. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the correlation between disease prevalence and urbanisation level, adding a further dimension to a systemic understanding of urban health. Urban areas have been increasing spatially, but unevenly, in recent decades, with medium and small cities also expanding rapidly in the past decade. Urbanisation and urban expansion result in changes to land use/coverage change, the urban environment and the residents' lifestyle, which result in human health problems. Regions with the highest urbanisation level were more inclined to have a high prevalence of chronic disease in recent decades. An ecological public health approach provides insights into the multiple types of data which need to be routinely collected if human disease is not to become a barrier to social and economic development.

Performing piety in sexual health research: gender, health and evangelical Christianities in a Mexican human papillomavirus (HPV) study.

PubMed

Wentzell, Emily

2017-12-01

Recent research suggests that health surveillance experiences like clinical trial participation might have unanticipated social consequences. I investigate how evangelical Christians participating in longitudinal, observational sexual health research incorporate that long-term medical surveillance into their religious practice. This exploratory research focuses on Mexican Cristianos' participation in the Cuernavaca arm of the multinational 'Human Papillomavirus in Men' ('HIM') study, which tested men for the common and usually asymptomatic sexually transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV) over time. I draw on interviews with heterosexual male research participants and their female partners throughout their medical research involvement, and data from church-based participant observation, to understand how couples framed the HIM study as an arena for performing piety. I argue that evangelical understandings of piety as moral practice encouraged participants to view long-term sexual health surveillance as assistance for living out the health, gender, and marital behaviors promoted by their congregations. This finding suggests that health research designers and ethics committees should consider the health and social outcomes of research participants' agentive incorporation of religious observance into study protocols.

UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HUMAN HEALTH

EPA Science Inventory

Modern air pollution regulation is first and foremost motivated by concerns about the effects of air pollutants on human health and secondarily by concerns about its effects on ecosystems, cultural artifacts, and quality of life values such as visibility. This order of priority ...

Environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity: potential public health concerns

PubMed Central

Marczylo, Emma L.; Jacobs, Miriam N.; Gant, Timothy W.

2016-01-01

Abstract Throughout our lives, epigenetic processes shape our development and enable us to adapt to a constantly changing environment. Identifying and understanding environmentally induced epigenetic change(s) that may lead to adverse outcomes is vital for protecting public health. This review, therefore, examines the present understanding of epigenetic mechanisms involved in the mammalian life cycle, evaluates the current evidence for environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity in human cohorts and rodent models and highlights the research considerations and implications of this emerging knowledge for public health and regulatory toxicology. Many hundreds of studies have investigated such toxicity, yet relatively few have demonstrated a mechanistic association among specific environmental exposures, epigenetic changes and adverse health outcomes in human epidemiological cohorts and/or rodent models. While this small body of evidence is largely composed of exploratory in vivo high-dose range studies, it does set a precedent for the existence of environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity. Consequently, there is worldwide recognition of this phenomenon, and discussion on how to both guide further scientific research towards a greater mechanistic understanding of environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity in humans, and translate relevant research outcomes into appropriate regulatory policies for effective public health protection. PMID:27278298

Environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity: potential public health concerns.

PubMed

Marczylo, Emma L; Jacobs, Miriam N; Gant, Timothy W

2016-09-01

Throughout our lives, epigenetic processes shape our development and enable us to adapt to a constantly changing environment. Identifying and understanding environmentally induced epigenetic change(s) that may lead to adverse outcomes is vital for protecting public health. This review, therefore, examines the present understanding of epigenetic mechanisms involved in the mammalian life cycle, evaluates the current evidence for environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity in human cohorts and rodent models and highlights the research considerations and implications of this emerging knowledge for public health and regulatory toxicology. Many hundreds of studies have investigated such toxicity, yet relatively few have demonstrated a mechanistic association among specific environmental exposures, epigenetic changes and adverse health outcomes in human epidemiological cohorts and/or rodent models. While this small body of evidence is largely composed of exploratory in vivo high-dose range studies, it does set a precedent for the existence of environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity. Consequently, there is worldwide recognition of this phenomenon, and discussion on how to both guide further scientific research towards a greater mechanistic understanding of environmentally induced epigenetic toxicity in humans, and translate relevant research outcomes into appropriate regulatory policies for effective public health protection.

The importance of human resources management in health care: a global context.

PubMed

Kabene, Stefane M; Orchard, Carole; Howard, John M; Soriano, Mark A; Leduc, Raymond

2006-07-27

This paper addresses the health care system from a global perspective and the importance of human resources management (HRM) in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health care services. We explored the published literature and collected data through secondary sources. Various key success factors emerge that clearly affect health care practices and human resources management. This paper will reveal how human resources management is essential to any health care system and how it can improve health care models. Challenges in the health care systems in Canada, the United States of America and various developing countries are examined, with suggestions for ways to overcome these problems through the proper implementation of human resources management practices. Comparing and contrasting selected countries allowed a deeper understanding of the practical and crucial role of human resources management in health care. Proper management of human resources is critical in providing a high quality of health care. A refocus on human resources management in health care and more research are needed to develop new policies. Effective human resources management strategies are greatly needed to achieve better outcomes from and access to health care around the world.

The importance of human resources management in health care: a global context

PubMed Central

Kabene, Stefane M; Orchard, Carole; Howard, John M; Soriano, Mark A; Leduc, Raymond

2006-01-01

Background This paper addresses the health care system from a global perspective and the importance of human resources management (HRM) in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health care services. Methods We explored the published literature and collected data through secondary sources. Results Various key success factors emerge that clearly affect health care practices and human resources management. This paper will reveal how human resources management is essential to any health care system and how it can improve health care models. Challenges in the health care systems in Canada, the United States of America and various developing countries are examined, with suggestions for ways to overcome these problems through the proper implementation of human resources management practices. Comparing and contrasting selected countries allowed a deeper understanding of the practical and crucial role of human resources management in health care. Conclusion Proper management of human resources is critical in providing a high quality of health care. A refocus on human resources management in health care and more research are needed to develop new policies. Effective human resources management strategies are greatly needed to achieve better outcomes from and access to health care around the world. PMID:16872531

The Human Gut Phage Community and Its Implications for Health and Disease.

PubMed

Manrique, Pilar; Dills, Michael; Young, Mark J

2017-06-08

In this review, we assess our current understanding of the role of bacteriophages infecting the human gut bacterial community in health and disease. In general, bacteriophages contribute to the structure of their microbial communities by driving host and viral diversification, bacterial evolution, and by expanding the functional diversity of ecosystems. Gut bacteriophages are an ensemble of unique and shared phages in individuals, which encompass temperate phages found predominately as prophage in gut bacteria (prophage reservoir) and lytic phages. In healthy individuals, only a small fraction of the prophage reservoir is activated and found as extracellular phages. Phage community dysbiosis is characterized by a shift in the activated prophage community or an increase of lytic phages, and has been correlated with disease, suggesting that a proper balance between lysis and lysogeny is needed to maintain health. Consequently, the concept of microbial dysbiosis might be extended to the phage component of the microbiome as well. Understanding the dynamics and mechanisms to restore balance after dysbiosis is an active area of research. The use of phage transplants to re-establish health suggests that phages can be used as disease treatment. Such advances represent milestones in our understanding of gut phages in human health and should fuel research on their role in health and disease.

Emergency response health physics.

PubMed

Mena, Rajah; Pemberton, Wendy; Beal, William

2012-05-01

Health physics is an important discipline with regard to understanding the effects of radiation on human health. This paper aims to illustrate the unique challenges presented to the health physicist or analyst of radiological data in a large-scale emergency.

Gut Microbiota: Impact of probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, pharmabiotics and postbiotics on human health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Multidisciplinary approaches enabled a better understanding of the connection between human gut microbes and health. This knowledge is rapidly changing how we think about probiotics and related –biotics (prebiotics, synbiotics, pharmabiotics and postbiotics). Functional –omics approaches are very im...

77 FR 18246 - Agency Information Collection Request; 30-Day Public Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-27

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Document Identifier: OS-0990-0335; 30-Day Notice] Agency... of the Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary... OMB-approved program assessment requirements. The lack of general awareness and understanding about...

77 FR 4561 - Agency Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES [Document Identifier: OS-0990-0335] Agency Information... Secretary (OS), Department of Health and Human Services, is publishing the following summary of a proposed... OMB-approved program assessment requirements. The lack of general awareness and understanding about...

78 FR 7433 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [Document... data collection of NQF 0678 Pressure Ulcer measures beginning October 1, 2012, with the understanding... of Health and Human Services (HHS) that was called for under the Affordable Care Act to create...

Fiction and Film as Teaching Instruments in Higher Health Care Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Persson, Ingrid A. -L.; Persson, Karin

2008-01-01

Teaching of the sciences of behaviour in higher health care education is sparse. The authors believe that students with increased knowledge and education of the human mind and soul would have a wider understanding of the human nature. Physiology describes the anatomy and function of the body, but in order to describe life/the living human, they…

Time for food: The impact of diet on gut microbiota and human health.

PubMed

Zhang, Na; Ju, Zhongjie; Zuo, Tao

There is growing recognition of the role of diet on modulating the composition and metabolic activity of the human gut microbiota, which in turn influence health. Dietary ingredients and food additives have a substantial impact on the gut microbiota and hence affect human health. Updates on current understanding of the gut microbiota in diseases and metabolic disorders are addressed in this review, providing insights into how this can be transferred from bench to bench side as gut microbes are integrated with food. The potency of microbiota-targeted biomarkers as a state-of-art tool for diagnosis of diseases was also discussed, and it would instruct individuals with healthy dietary consumption. Herein, recent advances in understanding the effect of diet on gut microbiota from an ecological perspective, and how these insights might promote health by guiding development of prebiotic and probiotic strategies and functional foods, were explored. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

“When You’re a Baby You Don’t Have Puberty”: Understanding of Puberty and Human Reproduction in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

PubMed Central

Hurwitz, Lisa B.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Hightower, Brianna; Sroka, Iris; Woodruff, Teresa K.; Wartella, Ellen

2017-01-01

Basic knowledge of human reproduction can help youth prepare for puberty and make later classes focused on advanced reproductive health topics manageable. With the intention of potentially informing the creation of learning materials, we conducted a needs assessment among children ages 7 to 12 in our suburban Chicago community to ascertain their current understanding of, and beliefs and misconceptions about, human reproduction, and to determine their needs for additional reproductive health education. We held qualitative focus group interviews with local children. Participants primarily reported learning about these topics from their parents prior to receiving school-based education in fifth grade. Their level of understanding was relatively low. They had little knowledge of internal sexual organs, expressed a range of beliefs about conception ranging from inaccurate to accurate but incomplete, and voiced concerns about transitioning into adolescence. This suggests a need for additional resources that provide comprehensible descriptions of reproductive health processes and mitigate puberty-related concerns. PMID:28931963

[Considering human peculiarities in attention to health care through dialogue and assistance].

PubMed

Pereira, Adriana Dall'Asta; de Freitas, Hilda Maria Barbosa; Ferreira, Carla Lizandra de Lima; Marchiori, Mara Regina Caino Teixeira; Souza, Martha Helena Teixeira; Backes, Dirce Stein

2010-03-01

The aim of this qualitative exploratory research is to understand how health workers relate to the main object of their work--the user--both subject and author of his/her life history. Eleven nursing practitioners from a Basic Health Unit participated in a semi-structured instrument, in March and April, 2008. The speeches revealed two converging themes: (1) Consideration of human peculiarities in attention to health care; and (2) dialogue and assistance as interactive possibilities. We found that the attention to health care is broadening the debates over valuing human peculiarities through dialogue and assistance as interactive possibilities.

Space Radiation and Risks to Human Health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huff, Janice L.

2014-01-01

The radiation environment in space poses significant challenges to human health and is a major concern for long duration manned space missions. Outside the Earth's protective magnetosphere, astronauts are exposed to higher levels of galactic cosmic rays, whose physical characteristics are distinct from terrestrial sources of radiation such as x-rays and gamma-rays. Galactic cosmic rays consist of high energy and high mass nuclei as well as high energy protons; they impart unique biological damage as they traverse through tissue with impacts on human health that are largely unknown. The major health issues of concern are the risks of radiation carcinogenesis, acute and late decrements to the central nervous system, degenerative tissue effects such as cardiovascular disease, as well as possible acute radiation syndromes due to an unshielded exposure to a large solar particle event. The NASA Human Research Program's Space Radiation Program Element is focused on characterization and mitigation of these space radiation health risks along with understanding these risks in context of the other biological stressors found in the space environment. In this overview, we will provide a description of these health risks and the Element's research strategies to understand and mitigate these risks.

Bats and emerging zoonoses: henipaviruses and SARS.

PubMed

Field, H E

2009-08-01

Nearly 75% of all emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) that impact or threaten human health are zoonotic. The majority have spilled from wildlife reservoirs, either directly to humans or via domestic animals. The emergence of many can be attributed to predisposing factors such as global travel, trade, agricultural expansion, deforestation/habitat fragmentation, and urbanization; such factors increase the interface and/or the rate of contact between human, domestic animal, and wildlife populations, thereby creating increased opportunities for spillover events to occur. Infectious disease emergence can be regarded as primarily an ecological process. The epidemiological investigation of EIDs associated with wildlife requires a trans-disciplinary approach that includes an understanding of the ecology of the wildlife species, and an understanding of human behaviours that increase risk of exposure. Investigations of the emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia in 1999 and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2003 provide useful case studies. The emergence of Nipah virus was associated with the increased size and density of commercial pig farms and their encroachment into forested areas. The movement of pigs for sale and slaughter in turn led to the rapid spread of infection to southern peninsular Malaysia, where the high-density, largely urban pig populations facilitated transmission to humans. Identifying the factors associated with the emergence of SARS in southern China requires an understanding of the ecology of infection both in the natural reservoir and in secondary market reservoir species. A necessary extension of understanding the ecology of the reservoir is an understanding of the trade, and of the social and cultural context of wildlife consumption. Emerging infectious diseases originating from wildlife populations will continue to threaten public health. Mitigating and managing the risk requires an appreciation of the connectedness between human, livestock and wildlife health, and of the factors and processes that disrupt the balance.

Lessons from a postcolonial-feminist perspective: suffering and a path to healing.

PubMed

Anderson, Joan M

2004-12-01

Recent events around the globe reflect the tensions and ethical dilemmas of the postmodern, postcolonial and neocolonial world that have far reaching implications for health, well-being, and human suffering. As we consider what is at stake, and what this means for local lives and human relationships, we need to examine whether the theories we draw on are adequate to further our understanding of health, and the social and material conditions of human suffering. In this paper I begin to explore the question, "Can postcolonial feminist theories provide an inclusive scholarship that would further our understanding of human suffering and open up a path to healing?" At issue here is whether this scholarship adds another dimension to a praxis-oriented nursing science.

Affiliative and prosocial motives and emotions in mental health.

PubMed

Gilbert, Paul

2015-12-01

This paper argues that studies of mental health and wellbeing can be contextualized within an evolutionary approach that highlights the coregulating processes of emotions and motives. In particular, it suggests that, although many mental health symptoms are commonly linked to threat processing, attention also needs to be directed to the major regulators of threat processing, ie, prosocial and affiliative interactions with self and others. Given that human sociality has been a central driver for a whole range of human adaptations, a better understanding of the effects of prosocial interactions on health is required, and should be integrated into psychiatric formulations and interventions. Insight into the coregulating processes of motives and emotions, especially prosocial ones, offers improved ways of understanding mental health difficulties and their prevention and relief.

Affiliative and prosocial motives and emotions in mental health

PubMed Central

Gilbert, Paul

2015-01-01

This paper argues that studies of mental health and wellbeing can be contextualized within an evolutionary approach that highlights the coregulating processes of emotions and motives. In particular, it suggests that, although many mental health symptoms are commonly linked to threat processing, attention also needs to be directed to the major regulators of threat processing, ie, prosocial and affiliative interactions with self and others. Given that human sociality has been a central driver for a whole range of human adaptations, a better understanding of the effects of prosocial interactions on health is required, and should be integrated into psychiatric formulations and interventions. Insight into the coregulating processes of motives and emotions, especially prosocial ones, offers improved ways of understanding mental health difficulties and their prevention and relief. PMID:26869839

Is human fecundity changing? A discussion of research and data gaps precluding us from having an answer.

EPA Science Inventory

Fecundity, the biologic capacity to reproduce, is essential for the health of individuals and is, therefore, fundamental for understanding human health at the population level. Given the absence of a population (bio)marker, fecundity is assessed indirectly by various individual­ ...

Communication and Mental Health: Psychiatric Forerunners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brooks, Deems M.

The connections between human communication and mental health were first noted 50 to 60 years ago by such early psychiatrists as Alfred Adler, Harry Stack Sullivan, and Karen Horney. They were concerned with understanding those communication processes and skills that make for effective, fully functioning human beings. Adler emphasized faulty…

Climate Change, Human Health, and Biomedical Research: Analysis of the National Institutes of Health Research Portfolio

PubMed Central

Balbus, John M.; Christian, Carole; Haque, Ehsanul; Howe, Sally E.; Newton, Sheila A.; Reid, Britt C.; Roberts, Luci; Wilhelm, Erin; Rosenthal, Joshua P.

2013-01-01

Background: According to a wide variety of analyses and projections, the potential effects of global climate change on human health are large and diverse. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its basic, clinical, and population research portfolio of grants, has been increasing efforts to understand how the complex interrelationships among humans, ecosystems, climate, climate variability, and climate change affect domestic and global health. Objectives: In this commentary we present a systematic review and categorization of the fiscal year (FY) 2008 NIH climate and health research portfolio. Methods: A list of candidate climate and health projects funded from FY 2008 budget appropriations were identified and characterized based on their relevance to climate change and health and based on climate pathway, health impact, study type, and objective. Results: This analysis identified seven FY 2008 projects focused on climate change, 85 climate-related projects, and 706 projects that focused on disease areas associated with climate change but did not study those associations. Of the nearly 53,000 awards that NIH made in 2008, approximately 0.17% focused on or were related to climate. Conclusions: Given the nature and scale of the potential effects of climate change on human health and the degree of uncertainty that we have about these effects, we think that it is helpful for the NIH to engage in open discussions with science and policy communities about government-wide needs and opportunities in climate and health, and about how NIH’s strengths in human health research can contribute to understanding the health implications of global climate change. This internal review has been used to inform more recent initiatives by the NIH in climate and health. PMID:23552460

Climate change, human health, and biomedical research: analysis of the National Institutes of Health research portfolio.

PubMed

Jessup, Christine M; Balbus, John M; Christian, Carole; Haque, Ehsanul; Howe, Sally E; Newton, Sheila A; Reid, Britt C; Roberts, Luci; Wilhelm, Erin; Rosenthal, Joshua P

2013-04-01

According to a wide variety of analyses and projections, the potential effects of global climate change on human health are large and diverse. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), through its basic, clinical, and population research portfolio of grants, has been increasing efforts to understand how the complex interrelationships among humans, ecosystems, climate, climate variability, and climate change affect domestic and global health. In this commentary we present a systematic review and categorization of the fiscal year (FY) 2008 NIH climate and health research portfolio. A list of candidate climate and health projects funded from FY 2008 budget appropriations were identified and characterized based on their relevance to climate change and health and based on climate pathway, health impact, study type, and objective. This analysis identified seven FY 2008 projects focused on climate change, 85 climate-related projects, and 706 projects that focused on disease areas associated with climate change but did not study those associations. Of the nearly 53,000 awards that NIH made in 2008, approximately 0.17% focused on or were related to climate. Given the nature and scale of the potential effects of climate change on human health and the degree of uncertainty that we have about these effects, we think that it is helpful for the NIH to engage in open discussions with science and policy communities about government-wide needs and opportunities in climate and health, and about how NIH's strengths in human health research can contribute to understanding the health implications of global climate change. This internal review has been used to inform more recent initiatives by the NIH in climate and health.

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

PubMed

Triggle, David J

2012-12-15

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

Inter-professional collaboration as a health human resources strategy: moving forward with a western provinces research agenda.

PubMed

Mickelson, Grace; Suter, Esther; Deutschlander, Siegrid; Bainbridge, Lesley; Harrison, Liz; Grymonpre, Ruby; Hepp, Shelanne

2012-01-01

The current gap in research on inter-professional collaboration and health human resources outcomes is explored by the Western Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (WCIHC). In a recent research planning workshop with the four western provinces, 82 stakeholders from various sectors including health, provincial governments, research and education engaged with WCIHC to consider aligning their respective research agendas relevant to inter-professional collaboration and health human resources. Key research recommendations from a recent knowledge synthesis on inter-professional collaboration and health human resources as well as current provincial health priorities framed the discussions at the workshop. This knowledge exchange has helped to consolidate a shared current understanding of inter-professional education and practice and health workforce planning and management among the participating stakeholders. Ultimately, through a focused research program, a well-aligned approach between sectors to finding health human resources solutions will result in sustainable health systems reform. Copyright © 2013 Longwoods Publishing.

Political and economic unfairness in health system of Pakistan: a hope with the recent reforms.

PubMed

Shaikh, B T; Ejaz, I; Achakzai, D K; Shafiq, Y

2013-01-01

For the last few years, Pakistan's health system has faced numerous challenges pertaining to human resource and its deployment, resource allocation among the different tiers of the health care system, infrastructure development and unfair access to care. The enactment of the recent constitutional amendment has made the health system's situation even more uncertain than before. A detailed literature review was carried out to understand fairness an responsiveness in health systems. The findings of the review were then compiled particularly in the wake of recent constitutional amendment defining heaIth sector reforms in Pakistan. Various levels, features and components of health system of Pakistan were looked into in view of understanding the extent of 'fairness', 'responsiveness' and adequacy'. Healthcare financing; geographic distribution of health care facilities; human resources in health; access to health services and essential medicines: the allocations to urban and rural segments; and finally understanding the health positioning in national agenda and priorities were examined for this purpose. In the post-devolution scenario, provinces muLst think systematically how to deal with the capacity issues to manage different components of health care system. Nonetheless, as a country, collective actions would be required to avoid any pitfalls, while approaching Millennium Developmenit Goals by 2015.

42 CFR 405.874 - Appeals of CMS or a CMS contractor.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... supplier to understand the nature of its deficiencies. (2) The right to appeal in accordance with part 498... provider or supplier to understand the nature of its deficiencies. (ii) The right to appeal in accordance... 405.874 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN...

Argonne News Brief: Here be Dragons! Komodo Dragons Help Understanding of Microbial Health

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

None

Researchers found that captive Komodo Dragons share microbes with their environment, just as humans and pets do within homes. These observations build our understanding of the impact of captivity on health, which could lead to improvements in the care of animals within our homes and other closed environments.

Understanding the business of employed physician practices.

PubMed

Sanford, Kathleen D

2013-09-01

Health system leaders should understand issues related to finance, compliance, human resources, quality, and safety in their employed physician practices to better support the success of these practices. New business and payment models are driving operational changes in physician offices. Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI) has added new system roles and responsibilities to oversee physician practices.

75 FR 386 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States Department of Health and Human Services...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-05

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0667... Services, Food and Drug Administration, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and Northeastern University AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA...

Minnows as a Classroom Model for Human Environmental Health

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Daniel N.; Hesselbach, Renee; Kane, Andrew S.; Petering, David H.; Petering, Louise; Berg, Craig A.

2013-01-01

Understanding human environmental health is difficult for high school students, as is the process of scientific investigation. This module provides a framework to address both concerns through an inquiry-based approach using a hypothesis-driven set of experiments that draws upon a real-life concern, environmental exposures to lead (Pb2+). Students…

Multi-Disciplinary Knowledge Synthesis for Human Health Assessment on Earth and in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christakos, G.

We discuss methodological developments in multi-disciplinary knowledge synthesis (KS) of human health assessment. A theoretical KS framework can provide the rational means for the assimilation of various information bases (general, site-specific etc.) that are relevant to the life system of interest. KS-based techniques produce a realistic representation of the system, provide a rigorous assessment of the uncertainty sources, and generate informative health state predictions across space-time. The underlying epistemic cognition methodology is based on teleologic criteria and stochastic logic principles. The mathematics of KS involves a powerful and versatile spatiotemporal random field model that accounts rigorously for the uncertainty features of the life system and imposes no restriction on the shape of the probability distributions or the form of the predictors. KS theory is instrumental in understanding natural heterogeneities, assessing crucial human exposure correlations and laws of physical change, and explaining toxicokinetic mechanisms and dependencies in a spatiotemporal life system domain. It is hoped that a better understanding of KS fundamentals would generate multi-disciplinary models that are useful for the maintenance of human health on Earth and in Space.

Developmental plasticity and evolutionary biology.

PubMed

Bateson, Patrick

2007-04-01

Fetal experience determines some of the characteristics of human adults. Well-nourished mothers have offspring who are adapted to affluent conditions; mothers on a low level of nutrition have offspring who are adapted to lean environments. If the mother's forecast of her offspring's future environment is incorrect, the health of her offspring may suffer severely. The developmental plasticity that accounts for the ill health of humans who are living in conditions of rapid economic change is commonplace in biology. Understanding the evolutionary background sets the developmental origins of ill health in humans in context and has profound implications for public health.

Assessing health risks of synthetic vitreous fibers: an integrative approach.

PubMed

McClellan, R O

1994-12-01

This paper reviews a tiered approach to acquiring information from multiple experimental systems to understand and assess the potential human health risks of exposure to airborne synthetic fibers. The approach is grounded in the now widely accepted research-risk assessment-risk management paradigm. It involves the acquisition of information that will provide mechanistic linkages within the exposure-dose-response paradigm. It advocates the use of the inhalation route of exposure for developing relevant information for assessing human health risks and calls attention to serious problems encountered using nonphysiologic routes of administration to assess human health risks.

Soil, Food Security and Human Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver, Margaret

2017-04-01

"Upon this handful of soil our survival depends. Husband it and it will grow food, our fuel, and our shelter and surround us with beauty. Abuse it and the soil will collapse and die, taking humanity with it" Vedas Sanskrit Scripture, 1500 BC. As the world's population increases issues of food security become more pressing as does the need to sustain soil fertility and to minimize soil degradation. Soil and land are finite resources, and agricultural land is under severe competition from many other uses. Lack of adequate food and food of poor nutritional quality lead to under-nutrition of different degrees, all of which can cause ill- or suboptimal-health. The soil can affect human health directly and indirectly. Direct effects of soil or its constituents result from its ingestion, inhalation or absorption. For example, hook worms enter the body through the skin and cause anaemia, and fungi and dust can be inhaled resulting in respiratory problems. The soil is the source of actinomycetes on which our earliest antibiotics are based (actinomycin, neomycin and streptomycin). Furthermore, it is a potential reservoir of new antibiotics with methods such as functional metagenomics to identify antibiotic resistant genes. Indirect effects of soil arise from the quantity and quality of food that humans consume. Trace elements can have both beneficial and toxic effects on humans, especially where the range for optimal intake is narrow as for selenium. Deficiencies of four trace elements, iodine, iron, selenium and zinc, will be considered because of their substantial effects on human health. Relations between soil and human health are often difficult to extricate because of the many confounding factors present such as the source of food, social factors and so on. Nevertheless, recent scientific understanding of soil processes and factors that affect human health are enabling greater insight into the effects of soil on our health. Multidisciplinary research that includes soil science, agronomy, agricultural sustainability, toxicology, epidemiology and the medical sciences will promote greater understanding of the complex relationships between soil and human health.

Personalized Exposure Assessment: Promising Approaches for Human Environmental Health Research

PubMed Central

Weis, Brenda K.; Balshaw, David; Barr, John R.; Brown, David; Ellisman, Mark; Lioy, Paul; Omenn, Gilbert; Potter, John D.; Smith, Martyn T.; Sohn, Lydia; Suk, William A.; Sumner, Susan; Swenberg, James; Walt, David R.; Watkins, Simon; Thompson, Claudia; Wilson, Samuel H.

2005-01-01

New technologies and methods for assessing human exposure to chemicals, dietary and lifestyle factors, infectious agents, and other stressors provide an opportunity to extend the range of human health investigations and advance our understanding of the relationship between environmental exposure and disease. An ad hoc Committee on Environmental Exposure Technology Development was convened to identify new technologies and methods for deriving personalized exposure measurements for application to environmental health studies. The committee identified a “toolbox” of methods for measuring external (environmental) and internal (biologic) exposure and assessing human behaviors that influence the likelihood of exposure to environmental agents. The methods use environmental sensors, geographic information systems, biologic sensors, toxicogenomics, and body burden (biologic) measurements. We discuss each of the methods in relation to current use in human health research; specific gaps in the development, validation, and application of the methods are highlighted. We also present a conceptual framework for moving these technologies into use and acceptance by the scientific community. The framework focuses on understanding complex human diseases using an integrated approach to exposure assessment to define particular exposure–disease relationships and the interaction of genetic and environmental factors in disease occurrence. Improved methods for exposure assessment will result in better means of monitoring and targeting intervention and prevention programs. PMID:16002370

Human rights, public health and medicinal cannabis use.

PubMed

Bone, Melissa; Seddon, Toby

2016-01-01

This paper explores the interplay between the human rights and drug control frameworks and critiques case law on medicinal cannabis use to demonstrate that a bona fide human rights perspective allows for a broader conception of 'health'. This broad conception, encompassing both medicalised and social constructionist definitions, can inform public health policies relating to medicinal cannabis use. The paper also demonstrates how a human rights lens can alleviate a core tension between the State and the individual within the drug policy field. The leading medicinal cannabis case in the UK highlights the judiciary's failure to engage with an individual's human right to health as they adopt an arbitrary, externalist view, focussing on the legality of cannabis to the exclusion of other concerns. Drawing on some international comparisons, the paper considers how a human rights perspective can lead to an approach to medicinal cannabis use which facilitates a holistic understanding of public health.

Sexual rights as human rights: a guide to authoritative sources and principles for applying human rights to sexuality and sexual health.

PubMed

Miller, Alice M; Kismödi, Eszter; Cottingham, Jane; Gruskin, Sofia

2015-11-01

This Guide seeks to provide insight and resources to actors interested in the development of rights claims around sexuality and sexual health. After engaging with the vexed question of the scope of sexual rights, it explores the rules and principles governing the way in which human rights claims are developed and applied to sexuality and sexual health, and how that development is linked to law and made a matter of state obligation. This understanding is critical to policy and programming in sexual health and rights, as it supports calling on the relevant range of human rights, such as privacy, non-discrimination, health or other universally accepted human rights, as well as demanding the action of states under their international and national law obligations to support sexual health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Past, Present, and Future of Soils and Human Health Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, E. C.; Sauer, T. J.

2012-04-01

The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as approximately 1400 B.C. the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. While exploring Canaan, Moses charged the men he sent to evaluate the fertility of the soil. In 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered in a proper medical evaluation, including the ground. By the late 1700 and early 1800s, American farmers had recognized that soil properties had some connection to human health. In "Letters from an American Farmer", published in 1792, J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur stated "Men are like plants; the goodness and flavor of the fruit proceeds from the peculiar soil and exposition in which they grow". And in "Larding the Lean Earth", published in 2002, S. Stoll noted that North American farmers in the early 1800s recognized a link between an enduring agriculture and an enduring society, leading them to become concerned about the fertility of their soils and to seek ways of improving the soil in order to insure a healthy society. Continuing into the first half of the 20th Century, a 1940 publication by the International Harvester Company noted that poor soils lead to "stoop-shouldered, poverty-stricken people." Then, in 1947, Sir Albert Howard published his landmark work "The Soil and Health: A Study of Organic Agriculture", a work that took a critical look at modern production agriculture and at the link between soil fertility and health. Despite these various lines of evidence of some earlier level of understanding that healthy soils are required for healthy people, the scientific study of the relationship between soils and human health is a fairly new undertaking. In his 1997 work "Soil and Human Health: A Review", M.A. Oliver states "… there is a dearth of quantitative information on the relations between elements in the soil and human health;…there is much speculation and anecdotal evidence." So, the scientific study of soils and human health is a recent undertaking, but the idea that healthy soils are required for healthy people is not a particularly new one. In the modern world, we recognize that soils have a distinct influence on human health. We recognize that soils influence 1) food availability and quality (food security), 2) human contact with various chemicals, and 3) human contact with various pathogens. Soils and human health studies include investigations into nutrient supply through the food web and routes of exposure to chemicals and pathogens. However, making strong, scientific connections between soils and human health can be difficult. There are multiple variables to consider in the soil environment, meaning traditional scientific studies that seek to isolate and manipulate a single variable often do not provide meaningful data. The complete study of soils and human health also involves many different specialties such as soil scientists, toxicologists, medical professionals, anthropologists, etc. These groups do not traditionally work together on research projects, and do not always effectively communicate with one another. Climate change and how it will affect the soil environment/ecosystem going into the future is another variable we need to get a better understanding of. Future successes in soils and human health research will require effectively addressing difficult issues such as these.

Botanical Dietary Supplements: Background Information

MedlinePlus

Skip navigation links U.S. Department of Health & Human Services HHS.gov National Institutes of Health NIH.gov Font Size Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Strengthening Knowledge and Understanding of ...

For people and planet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2017-07-01

The emerging field of geohealth links human well-being and ecosystem health. A deeper understanding of these linkages can help society mitigate the health costs of economic growth before they become crises.

Using human rights for sexual and reproductive health: improving legal and regulatory frameworks

PubMed Central

Kismodi, Eszter; Hilber, Adriane Martin; Lincetto, Ornella; Stahlhofer, Marcus; Gruskin, Sofia

2010-01-01

Abstract This paper describes the development of a tool that uses human rights concepts and methods to improve relevant laws, regulations and policies related to sexual and reproductive health. This tool aims to improve awareness and understanding of States’ human rights obligations. It includes a method for systematically examining the status of vulnerable groups, involving non-health sectors, fostering a genuine process of civil society participation and developing recommendations to address regulatory and policy barriers to sexual and reproductive health with a clear assignment of responsibility. Strong leadership from the ministry of health, with support from the World Health Organization or other international partners, and the serious engagement of all involved in this process can strengthen the links between human rights and sexual and reproductive health, and contribute to national achievement of the highest attainable standard of health. PMID:20616975

Ménage à trois in the human gut: interactions between host, bacteria and phages.

PubMed

Mirzaei, Mohammadali Khan; Maurice, Corinne F

2017-07-01

The human gut is host to one of the densest microbial communities known, the gut microbiota, which contains bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi and other microbial eukaryotes. Bacteriophages in the gut are largely unexplored, despite their potential to regulate bacterial communities and thus human health. In addition to helping us understand gut homeostasis, applying an ecological perspective to the study of bacterial and phage communities in the gut will help us to understand how this microbial system functions. For example, temporal studies of bacteria, phages and host immune cells in the gut during health and disease could provide key information about disease development and inform therapeutic treatments, whereas understanding the regulation of the replication cycles of phages could help harness the gut microbiota to improve disease outcomes. As the most abundant biological entities in our gut, we must consider bacteriophages in our pursuit of personalized medicine.

Understanding health through social practices: performance and materiality in everyday life.

PubMed

Maller, Cecily Jane

2015-01-01

The importance of recognising structure and agency in health research to move beyond methodological individualism is well documented. To progress incorporating social theory into health, researchers have used Giddens' and Bourdieu's conceptualisations of social practice to understand relationships between agency, structure and health. However, social practice theories have more to offer than has currently been capitalised upon. This article delves into contemporary theories of social practice as used in consumption and sustainability research to provide an alternative, and more contextualised means, of understanding and explaining human action in relation to health and wellbeing. Two key observations are made. Firstly, the latest formulations of social practice theory distinguish moments of practice performance from practices as persistent entities across time and space, allowing empirical application to explain practice histories and future trajectories. Secondly, they emphasise the materiality of everyday life, foregrounding things, technologies and other non-humans that cannot be ignored in a technologically dependent social world. In concluding, I argue the value of using contemporary social practice theories in health research is that they reframe the way in which health outcomes can be understood and could inform more effective interventions that move beyond attitudes, behaviour and choices. © 2015 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

77 FR 7581 - Agency Information Collection Request; 60-Day Public Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

... Physicians on Oral Health for the Office on Women's Health (OWH), U.S. Department of Health and Human... physicians regarding oral health. This survey will provide the agency with information on oral health... will explore physicians' level of understanding of oral disease and what constitutes health for the...

Gut-Bioreactor and Human Health in Future.

PubMed

Purohit, Hemant J

2018-03-01

Gut-microbiome provides the complementary metabolic potential to the human system. To understand the active participation and the performance of the microbial community in human health, the concept of gut as a plug-flow reactor with the fed-batch mode of operation can provide better insight. The concept suggests the virtual compartmentalized gut with sequential stratification of the microbial community in response to a typical host genotype. It also provides the analysis plan for gut microbiome; and its relevance in developing health management options under the identified clinical conditions.

Multidisciplinary team of intensive therapy: humanization and fragmentation of the work process.

PubMed

Evangelista, Viviane Canhizares; Domingos, Thiago da Silva; Siqueira, Fernanda Paula Cerântola; Braga, Eliana Mara

2016-01-01

to understand the meaning of humanized care in intensive care units considering the experience of the multidisciplinary team. descriptive and exploratory qualitative research. For this purpose, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 professionals of the heath-care team, and, after transcription, we organized the qualitative data according to content analysis. from two main categories, we were able to understand that humanized care is characterized in the actions of health-care: effective communication, team work, empathy, singularity, and integrality; and mischaracterized in the management processes, specifically in the fragmentation of the work process and health-care, in the precarious work conditions, and in differing conceptual aspects of the political proposal of humanization. care activities in intensive therapy are guided by the humanization of care and corroborate the hospital management as a challenge to be overcome to boost advances in the operationalization of this Brazilian policy.

Endometrial microbiome.

PubMed

Franasiak, Jason M; Scott, Richard T

2017-06-01

There have been great improvements in assisted reproduction in the recent decade; however, there are still a significant number of chromosomally normal blastocysts that fail to produce live births. The human microbiome is the totality of the microbes and their genomes that exist in and on the host. The understanding of its impact on health and human disease, particularly in human reproduction, is evolving. New technologies have empowered metagenomic sample analysis that allows for more fully characterizing the reproductive tract microbiome. With these technologies, we have determined not only that sites previously thought to be sterile in fact have robust microbiomes, but also have better characterized the normal and abnormal vaginal and endometrial microbiome. The understanding of the microbiome in health and human disease, in particular in relation to human reproduction, is in its infancy. As the reproductive tract dysbiosis are better characterized and understood, we may be better equipped to manipulate it more expertly.

A one health framework for estimating the economic costs of zoonotic diseases on society.

PubMed

Narrod, Clare; Zinsstag, Jakob; Tiongco, Marites

2012-06-01

This article presents an integrated epidemiological and economic framework for assessing zoonoses using a "one health" concept. The framework allows for an understanding of the cross-sector economic impact of zoonoses using modified risk analysis and detailing a range of analytical tools. The goal of the framework is to link the analysis outputs of animal and human disease transmission models, economic impact models and evaluation of risk management options to gain improved understanding of factors affecting the adoption of risk management strategies so that investment planning includes the most promising interventions (or sets of interventions) in an integrated fashion. A more complete understanding of the costs of the disease and the costs and benefits of control measures would promote broader implementation of the most efficient and effective control measures, contributing to improved animal and human health, better livelihood outcomes for the poor and macroeconomic growth.

Epigenetics: relevance and implications for public health.

PubMed

Rozek, Laura S; Dolinoy, Dana C; Sartor, Maureen A; Omenn, Gilbert S

2014-01-01

Improved understanding of the multilayer regulation of the human genome has led to a greater appreciation of environmental, nutritional, and epigenetic risk factors for human disease. Chromatin remodeling, histone tail modifications, and DNA methylation are dynamic epigenetic changes responsive to external stimuli. Careful interpretation can provide insights for actionable public health through collaboration between population and basic scientists and through integration of multiple data sources. We review key findings in environmental epigenetics both in human population studies and in animal models, and discuss the implications of these results for risk assessment and public health protection. To ultimately succeed in identifying epigenetic mechanisms leading to complex phenotypes and disease, researchers must integrate the various animal models, human clinical approaches, and human population approaches while paying attention to life-stage sensitivity, to generate effective prescriptions for human health evaluation and disease prevention.

7 CFR 1955.72 - Utilization of inventory housing by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or under a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Management Agency (FEMA) or under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the homeless. 1955.72 Section 1955.72... between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the...

7 CFR 1955.72 - Utilization of inventory housing by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or under a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Management Agency (FEMA) or under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the homeless. 1955.72 Section 1955.72... between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the...

7 CFR 1955.72 - Utilization of inventory housing by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or under a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Management Agency (FEMA) or under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the homeless. 1955.72 Section 1955.72... between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the...

7 CFR 1955.72 - Utilization of inventory housing by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or under a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Management Agency (FEMA) or under a Memorandum of Understanding between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the homeless. 1955.72 Section 1955.72... between the Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for transitional housing for the...

Human Research Program: 2012 Fiscal Year Annual Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Effenhauser, Laura

2012-01-01

Crew health and performance are critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Risks to health and performance include physiologic effects from radiation, hypogravity, and planetary environments, as well as unique challenges in medical treatment, human factors, and support of behavioral health. The scientists and engineers of the Human Research Program (HRP) investigate and reduce the greatest risks to human health and performance, and provide essential countermeasures and technologies for human space exploration. In its seventh year of operation, the HRP continued to refine its management architecture of evidence, risks, gaps, tasks, and deliverables. Experiments continued on the International Space Station (ISS), on the ground in analog environments that have features similar to those of spaceflight, and in laboratory environments. Data from these experiments furthered the understanding of how the space environment affects the human system. These research results contributed to scientific knowledge and technology developments that address the human health and performance risks. As shown in this report, HRP has made significant progress toward developing medical care and countermeasure systems for space exploration missions which will ultimately reduce risks to crew health and performance.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1989 to the DOE Office of Energy Research - Part 1: Biomedical Sciences

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

Park, J.F.

This report summarizes progress on OHER human health, biological, general life sciences, and medical applications research programs conducted at PNL in FY 1989. The research develops the knowledge and scientific principles necessary to identify, understand, and anticipate the long-term health consequences of energy-related radiation and chemicals. Our continuing emphasis is to decrease the uncertainty of health risk estimates from existing and developing energy-related technologies through an increased understanding of how radiation and chemicals cause biological damage. The sequence of this report of PNL research reflects the OHER programmatic structure. The first section, on human health research, concerns statistical and epidemiologicalmore » studies for assessing health risks. The next section contains reports of biological research in laboratory animals and in vitro cell systems, including research with radionuclides and chemicals. The general life sciences research section reports research conducted for the OHER human genome research program, and the medical applications section summarizes commercial radioisotope production and distribution activities at DOE facilities. 6 refs., 50 figs., 35 tabs.« less

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine

PubMed Central

Stieglitz, Jonathan; Trumble, Benjamin; Blackwell, Aaron D.; Beheim, Bret; Davis, Helen; Hooper, Paul; Kaplan, Hillard

2017-01-01

Abstract The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio‐behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life‐history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high‐fertility, kin‐based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well‐being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences. PMID:28429567

Dust storms and their impact on ocean and human health: dust in Earth's atmosphere

USGS Publications Warehouse

Griffin, Dale W.; Kellog, Christina A.

2004-01-01

Satellite imagery has greatly influenced our understanding of dust activity on a global scale. A number of different satellites such as NASA's Earth-Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) and Se-viewing Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) acquire daily global-scale data used to produce imagery for monitoring dust storm formation and movement. This global-scale imagery has documented the frequent transmission of dust storm-derived soils through Earth's atmosphere and the magnitude of many of these events. While various research projects have been undertaken to understand this normal planetary process, little has been done to address its impact on ocean and human health. This review will address the ability of dust storms to influence marine microbial population densities and transport of soil-associated toxins and pathogenic microorganisms to marine environments. The implications of dust on ocean and human health in this emerging scientific field will be discussed.

The dialog between health and foreign policy in Brazilian cooperation in human milk banks.

PubMed

Pittas, Tiago Mocellin; Dri, Clarissa Franzoi

2017-07-01

Mother's milk is the primary source of nourishment in early infancy. When this source is unavailable, secondary sources may be used, such as human milk banks. The first milk bank in Brazil was created in 1943, and they have been used ever since. A national model was developed through a number of phases, culminating in the Brazilian Network of Human Milk Banks. This gave rise to a number of international cooperation projects, with the Brazilian model particularly relevant for developing nations. The main objective of this analysis is to understand what drives Brazil to promote milk banks internationally. To do this we tried to understand the relationship between health and foreign policy, expressed here as soft power, as here the two areas dialog with one another. The results include gains in both areas and the affirmation of health as a central goal of the national interest cluster of the case.

76 FR 60058 - Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

... for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, RFA Panel: Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Center for Scientific Review... Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4140, MSC 7814, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301...

Looking and listening for learning in arts- and humanities-based creations.

PubMed

Varpio, Lara; Grassau, Pamela; Hall, Pippa

2017-02-01

The arts and humanities are gradually gaining a foothold in health professions education as a means of supporting the development of future clinicians who are compassionate, critical and reflexive thinkers, while also strengthening clinical skills and practices that emphasise patient-centredness, collaboration and interprofessional practices. Assignments that tap into trainee creativity are increasingly used both to prepare learners for the demands of clinical work and to understand the personal and professional challenges learners face in these contexts. Health professions educators need methods for interpreting these creations in order to understand each learner's expressions. This paper describes two theoretical frameworks that can be used to understand trainees' unique learning experiences as they are expressed in arts- and humanities-based creations. The authors introduce the philosophical underpinnings and interpretation procedures of two theoretical frameworks that enable educators to 'hear' and 'see' the multilayered expressions embedded within arts- and humanities-based student creations: Gilligan's Listening Guide and Kress and van Leeuwen's approach to visual rhetoric. To illustrate how these frameworks can be used, the authors apply them to two creative summaries that learners made as part of a humanities-informed, interprofessional education intervention that took place in a non-acute-care teaching hospital. The interpretations of two creative summaries, a poem and a pair of paintings, highlight how applying these theoretical frameworks can offer important insights into learners' experiences. This cross-cutting edge paper describes how the Listening Guide and visual rhetoric can help health professions educators listen to and read the arts- and humanities-based creative expressions made by learners. Insights gained from these interpretations can advance the understanding of students' personal experiences in different learning environments and can inform curriculum development. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education.

Interdisciplinary science in support of environmental health along the United States-Mexico border

USGS Publications Warehouse

Papoulias, Diana; Parcher, Jean; Stefanov, Jim; Page, Ric

2006-01-01

The diverse, fragile ecosystems of the borderlands have been pushed beyond sustainable levels due to rapid population growth and land-use changes. Water shortages and pollution, poor air quality, increased soil salinities, residual pesticides and heavy metal contaminants are some of the many stressors that are degrading the quality of life in the borderlands. The relationship between human health and environmental quality challenges public officials, medical professionals, and resource managers on both sides of the border in their efforts to provide for and maintain healthy communities. To help understand the relationship between environmental and human health, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI) created an Internet Map Service (IMS) with binational georeferenced data. The goal is to have seamless integration of borderwide datasets at regional and local scales that can lend understanding of the linkages between the condition of the physical environment and public health issues.

[Human resources for health in Chile: the reform's pending challenge].

PubMed

Méndez, Claudio A

2009-09-01

Omission of human resources from health policy development has been identified as a barrier in the health sector reform's adoption phase. Since 2002, Chile's health care system has been undergoing a transformation based on the principles of health as a human right, equity, solidarity, efficiency, and social participation. While the reform has set forth the redefinition of the medical professions, continuing education, scheduled accreditation, and the introduction of career development incentives, it has not considered management options tailored to the new setting, a human resources strategy that has the consensus of key players and sector policy, or a process for understanding the needs of health care staff and professionals. However, there is still time to undo the shortcomings, in large part because the reform's implementation phase only recently has begun. Overcoming this challenge is in the hands of the experts charged with designing public health strategies and policies.

Capability for Integrated Systems Risk-Reduction Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, J.; Lumpkins, S.; Shelhamer, M.

2016-01-01

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is working to increase the likelihoods of human health and performance success during long-duration missions, and subsequent crew long-term health. To achieve these goals, there is a need to develop an integrated understanding of how the complex human physiological-socio-technical mission system behaves in spaceflight. This understanding will allow HRP to provide cross-disciplinary spaceflight countermeasures while minimizing resources such as mass, power, and volume. This understanding will also allow development of tools to assess the state of and enhance the resilience of individual crewmembers, teams, and the integrated mission system. We will discuss a set of risk-reduction questions that has been identified to guide the systems approach necessary to meet these needs. In addition, a framework of factors influencing human health and performance in space, called the Contributing Factor Map (CFM), is being applied as the backbone for incorporating information addressing these questions from sources throughout HRP. Using the common language of the CFM, information from sources such as the Human System Risk Board summaries, Integrated Research Plan, and HRP-funded publications has been combined and visualized in ways that allow insight into cross-disciplinary interconnections in a systematic, standardized fashion. We will show examples of these visualizations. We will also discuss applications of the resulting analysis capability that can inform science portfolio decisions, such as areas in which cross-disciplinary solicitations or countermeasure development will potentially be fruitful.

The Importance of Returned Martian Samples for Constraining Potential Hazards to Future Human Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

iMOST Team; Harrington, A. D.; Carrier, B. L.; Fernandez-Remolar, D. C.; Fogarty, J.; McCoy, J. T.; Rucker, M. A.; Spry, J. A.; Altieri, F.; Amelin, Y.; Ammannito, E.; Anand, M.; Beaty, D. W.; Benning, L. G.; Bishop, J. L.; Borg, L. E.; Boucher, D.; Brucato, J. R.; Busemann, H.; Campbell, K. A.; Czaja, A. D.; Debaille, V.; Des Marais, D. J.; Dixon, M.; Ehlmann, B. L.; Farmer, J. D.; Glavin, D. P.; Goreva, Y. S.; Grady, M. M.; Hallis, L. J.; Hausrath, E. M.; Herd, C. D. K.; Horgan, B.; Humayun, M.; Kleine, T.; Kleinhenz, J.; Mangold, N.; Mackelprang, R.; Mayhew, L. E.; McCubbin, F. M.; McLennan, S. M.; McSween, H. Y.; Moser, D. E.; Moynier, F.; Mustard, J. F.; Niles, P. B.; Ori, G. G.; Raulin, F.; Rettberg, P.; Schmitz, N.; Sefton-Nash, E.; Sephton, M. A.; Shaheen, R.; Shuster, D. L.; Siljestrom, S.; Smith, C. L.; Steele, A.; Swindle, T. D.; ten Kate, I. L.; Tosca, N. J.; Usui, T.; Van Kranendonk, M. J.; Wadhwa, M.; Weiss, B. P.; Werner, S. C.; Westall, F.; Wheeler, R. M.; Zipfel, J.; Zorzano, M. P.

2018-04-01

Thorough characterization and evaluation of returned martian regolith and airfall samples are critical to understanding the potential health and engineering system hazards during future human exploration.

Leveraging Health Care Simulation Technology for Human Factors Research: Closing the Gap Between Lab and Bedside.

PubMed

Deutsch, Ellen S; Dong, Yue; Halamek, Louis P; Rosen, Michael A; Taekman, Jeffrey M; Rice, John

2016-11-01

We describe health care simulation, designed primarily for training, and provide examples of how human factors experts can collaborate with health care professionals and simulationists-experts in the design and implementation of simulation-to use contemporary simulation to improve health care delivery. The need-and the opportunity-to apply human factors expertise in efforts to achieve improved health outcomes has never been greater. Health care is a complex adaptive system, and simulation is an effective and flexible tool that can be used by human factors experts to better understand and improve individual, team, and system performance within health care. Expert opinion is presented, based on a panel delivered during the 2014 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Health Care Symposium. Diverse simulators, physically or virtually representing humans or human organs, and simulation applications in education, research, and systems analysis that may be of use to human factors experts are presented. Examples of simulation designed to improve individual, team, and system performance are provided, as are applications in computational modeling, research, and lifelong learning. The adoption or adaptation of current and future training and assessment simulation technologies and facilities provides opportunities for human factors research and engineering, with benefits for health care safety, quality, resilience, and efficiency. Human factors experts, health care providers, and simulationists can use contemporary simulation equipment and techniques to study and improve health care delivery. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Understanding feline emotions: … and their role in problem behaviours.

PubMed

Heath, Sarah

2018-05-01

Practical relevance: Despite its importance, emotional health is a subject that is sadly neglected in the context of companion animals. Understanding emotions is at the heart of veterinary behavioural medicine and is key to preventing, managing and treating reported behavioural problems in domestic cats. Clinical challenges: On a daily basis, veterinary practices are presented with the physical health impact of emotional health and with emotionally motivated behaviours that are undesirable to owners and/or detrimental to the cat. Emotional health is of equal importance to physical health and lies at the very core of veterinary medicine. Clinically, the emotional motivation for a behaviour must be identified before an assessment is made of whether the motivation is contextually appropriate and whether the cat's response is justified and normal, or abnormal in the circumstances. Evidence base: The majority of referenced evidence for our understanding of emotional motivations in mammals has come from the human field, but recently there has been increasing interest in the emotional health of non-human animals and a resulting growth in research. This review draws on the published literature and the author's personal experience to explore how emotions can influence feline behaviours. Global importance: Understanding the importance of emotional health is a major factor in ensuring positive welfare for cats, wherever they are kept as companion animals. It impacts on their physical health and their quality of life, and also on the relationship between cat and owner.

Language disorder - children

MedlinePlus

... understanding and using language can cause problems with social interaction and the ability to function independently as an ... Bethesda, MD 20894 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health Page last updated: ...

Validation Report for the Title IV-C Health Through Science Project, 1979-80.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, James E.; And Others

Three objectives were identified regarding the Health Through Science Project, a comprehensive K-12 health project designed to increase student knowledge and understanding of health topic. Topics composing the core curriculum of the project were nutrition, safety, family living skills, personal hygiene and health, and human reproduction. Upon full…

78 FR 21382 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration... Project: Pretesting of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Mental Health Services Communication... for mobilizing consumer support and increasing public understanding to overcome the stigma attached to...

48 CFR 316.770-2 - Memoranda of understanding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Memoranda of understanding. 316.770-2 Section 316.770-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... contrary to the language of the solicitation or prospective contract. A memorandum of understanding does...

48 CFR 316.770-2 - Memoranda of understanding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Memoranda of understanding. 316.770-2 Section 316.770-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... contrary to the language of the solicitation or prospective contract. A memorandum of understanding does...

48 CFR 316.770-2 - Memoranda of understanding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Memoranda of understanding. 316.770-2 Section 316.770-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... contrary to the language of the solicitation or prospective contract. A memorandum of understanding does...

48 CFR 316.770-2 - Memoranda of understanding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Memoranda of understanding. 316.770-2 Section 316.770-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... contrary to the language of the solicitation or prospective contract. A memorandum of understanding does...

48 CFR 316.770-2 - Memoranda of understanding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Memoranda of understanding. 316.770-2 Section 316.770-2 Federal Acquisition Regulations System HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... contrary to the language of the solicitation or prospective contract. A memorandum of understanding does...

Current progress on understanding the impact of mercury on human health.

PubMed

Ha, Eunhee; Basu, Niladri; Bose-O'Reilly, Stephan; Dórea, José G; McSorley, Emeir; Sakamoto, Mineshi; Chan, Hing Man

2017-01-01

Mercury pollution and its impacts on human health is of global concern. The authors of this paper were members of the Plenary Panel on Human Health in the 12th International Conference on Mercury as a Global Pollutant held in Korea in June 2015. The Panel was asked by the conference organizers to address two questions: what is the current understanding of the impacts of mercury exposure on human health and what information is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Minamata Convention in lowering exposure and preventing adverse effects. The authors conducted a critical review of the literature published since January 2012 and discussed the current state-of-knowledge in the following areas: environmental exposure and/or risk assessment; kinetics and biomonitoring; effects on children development; effects on adult general populations; effects on artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM); effects on dental workers; risk of ethylmercury in thimerosal-containing vaccines; interactions with nutrients; genetic determinants and; risk communication and management. Knowledge gaps in each area were identified and recommendations for future research were made. The Panel concluded that more knowledge synthesis efforts are needed to translate the research results into management tools for health professionals and policy makers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated Modular Teaching of Human Biology for Primary Care Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glasgow, Michael S.

1977-01-01

Describes the use of integrated modular teaching of the human biology component of the Health Associate Program at Johns Hopkins University, where the goal is to develop an understanding of the sciences as applied to primary care. Discussion covers the module sequence, the human biology faculty, goals of the human biology faculty, laboratory…

The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as approximately 1400 B.C. the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. While exploring Canaan, Moses charged the men he sent to evaluate the fertility of the soi...

The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as circa 1400 B.C. the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. In 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered ...

UNCERTAINTIES IN TRICHLOROETHYLENE PHARMACOKINETIC MODELS

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the pharmacokinetics of a chemical¯its absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion in humans and laboratory animals ¯ is critical to the assessment of its human health risks. For trichloroethylene (TCE), numerous physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK)...

Human rights, public health and medicinal cannabis use

PubMed Central

Bone, Melissa; Seddon, Toby

2016-01-01

This paper explores the interplay between the human rights and drug control frameworks and critiques case law on medicinal cannabis use to demonstrate that a bona fide human rights perspective allows for a broader conception of ‘health’. This broad conception, encompassing both medicalised and social constructionist definitions, can inform public health policies relating to medicinal cannabis use. The paper also demonstrates how a human rights lens can alleviate a core tension between the State and the individual within the drug policy field. The leading medicinal cannabis case in the UK highlights the judiciary’s failure to engage with an individual’s human right to health as they adopt an arbitrary, externalist view, focussing on the legality of cannabis to the exclusion of other concerns. Drawing on some international comparisons, the paper considers how a human rights perspective can lead to an approach to medicinal cannabis use which facilitates a holistic understanding of public health. PMID:26692654

Measuring human capital cost through benchmarking in health care environment.

PubMed

Kocakülâh, Mehmet C; Harris, Donna

2002-01-01

Each organization should seek to maximize its human capital investments, which ultimately lead to increased profits and asset efficiency. Service companies utilize less capital equipment and more human productivity, customer service, and/or delivery of service as the product. With the measurement of human capital, one can understand what is happening, exercise some degree of control, and make positive changes. Senior management lives or dies by the numbers and if Human Resources (HR) really wants to be a strategic business partner, HR must be judged by the same standards as everyone else in the health care organization.

Critical Evaluation of a Human In Vitro Biotransformation Rate Database

EPA Science Inventory

Chemical biotransformation is critical information in the understanding of how a chemical may elicit health effects in humans or in the environment. Despite the fundamental value of these data, very relatively few measured in vivo data are available for humans compared to the tho...

Understanding the Complexities of Food Safety Using a "One Health" Approach.

PubMed

Kniel, Kalmia E; Kumar, Deepak; Thakur, Siddhartha

2018-02-01

The philosophy of One Health is growing in concept and clarity. The interdependence of human, animal, and environmental health is the basis for the concept of One Health. One Health is a comprehensive approach to ensure the health of people, animals, and the environment through collaborative efforts. Preharvest food safety issues align with the grand concept of One Health. Imagine any food production system, and immediately, parallel images from One Health emerge: for example, transmission of zoonotic diseases, antibiotic residues, or resistance genes in the environment; environmental and animal host reservoirs of disease; challenges with rearing animals and growing fresh produce on the same farm; application and transport of manure or diseased animals. During a recent celebration of #OneHealthDay, information was shared around the globe concerning scientists dedicated to One Health research systems. An ever-growing trade and global commerce system mixed with our incessant desire for food products during the whole year makes it all the more important to take a global view through the One Health lens to solve these growing challenges. The recent explosion of Zika virus around the globe renewed the need for assessing transmissible diseases through the eyes of One Health. It is not good enough to know how a disease affects the human population without a thorough understanding of the environment and vector reservoirs. If 60 to 75% of infectious diseases affecting humans are of animal origin, the need for better One Health research strategies and overdue solutions is imperative.

Oceans and Human Health: Linking Ocean, Organism, and Human Health for Sustainable Management of Coastal Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandifer, P. A.; Trtanj, J.; Collier, T. K.

2012-12-01

Scientists and policy-makers are increasingly recognizing that sustainable coastal communities depend on healthy and resilient economies, ecosystems, and people, and that the condition or "health" of the coastal ocean and humans are intimately and inextricably connected. A wealth of ecosystem services provided by ocean and coastal environments are crucial for human survival and well being. Nonetheless, the health of coastal communities, their economies, connected ecosystems and ecosystem services, and people are under increasing threats from health risks associated with environmental degradation, climate change, and unwise land use practices, all of which contribute to growing burdens of naturally-occurring and introduced pathogens, noxious algae, and chemical contaminants. The occurrence, frequency, intensity, geographic range, and number and kinds of ocean health threats are increasing, with concomitant health and economic effects and eroding public confidence in the safety and wholesomeness of coastal environments and resources. Concerns in the research and public health communities, many summarized in the seminal 1999 NRC Report, From Monsoons to Microbes and the 2004 final report of the US Commission on Ocean Policy, resulted in establishment of a new "meta-discipline" known as Oceans and Human Health (OHH). OHH brings together practitioners in oceanography, marine biology, ecology, biomedical science, medicine, economics and other social sciences, epidemiology, environmental management, and public health to focus on water- and food-borne causes of human and animal illnesses associated with ocean and coastal systems and on health benefits of seafood and other marine products. It integrates information across multiple disciplines to increase knowledge of ocean health risks and benefits and communicate such information to enhance public safety. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach to ocean health threats and benefits, Congress passed the Oceans and Human Health Act of 2004. Major outcomes of the OHH Act of 2004 include: --A national focus on ocean health and its relation to human health and well-being; --Enhanced interagency coordination and cooperation in research, development, and education; --Emphasis on development of a new, interdisciplinary community of practice; --Increased understanding of linkages between marine animal health and human health and the dangers of transmission of zoonotic diseases from the marine environment; --A richer understanding of factors affecting the occurrence and impacts of ocean health threats; --An enhanced ability of the ocean science and public health communities to respond to health-related emergencies; --A strong focus on development of ecological forecasts that are providing early warning of ocean health threats and impacts, thus improving the effectiveness of protection and mitigation actions. Taken together, these outcomes contribute significantly to more sustainable management of coastal resources and communities.

Environmental health capacity-building: Examples from EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research Grants Program

EPA Science Inventory

NCER’s environmental health research funding to academic institutions and non-profit entities have supported EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment, while also supporting capacity-building in communities in understanding and mitigating environmental...

75 FR 41497 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-16

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.... Project: Pretesting of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Mental Health Services Communication... services and for mobilizing consumer support and increasing public understanding to overcome the stigma...

78 FR 36203 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.... Project: Pretesting of Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Mental Health Services Communication... services and for mobilizing consumer support and increasing public understanding to overcome the stigma...

Understanding and Responding to Youth Substance Use: The Contribution of a Health and Human Rights Framework

PubMed Central

Gruskin, Sofia; Plafker, Karen; Smith-Estelle, Allison

2001-01-01

This article examines the utility of a health and human rights framework for conceptualizing and responding to the causes and consequences of substance use among young people. It provides operational definitions of “youth” and “substances,” a review of current international and national efforts to address substance use among youths, and an introduction to human rights and the intersection between health and human rights. A methodology for modeling vulnerability in relation to harmful substance use is introduced and contemporary international and national responses are discussed. When governments uphold their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill human rights, vulnerability to harmful substance use and its consequences can be reduced. PMID:11726374

Bartonella spp. - a chance to establish One Health concepts in veterinary and human medicine.

PubMed

Regier, Yvonne; O Rourke, Fiona; Kempf, Volkhard A J

2016-05-10

Infectious diseases remain a remarkable health threat for humans and animals. In the past, the epidemiology, etiology and pathology of infectious agents affecting humans and animals have mostly been investigated in separate studies. However, it is evident, that combined approaches are needed to understand geographical distribution, transmission and infection biology of "zoonotic agents". The genus Bartonella represents a congenial example of the synergistic benefits that can arise from such combined approaches: Bartonella spp. infect a broad variety of animals, are linked with a constantly increasing number of human diseases and are transmitted via arthropod vectors. As a result, the genus Bartonella is predestined to play a pivotal role in establishing a One Health concept combining veterinary and human medicine.

A transdisciplinary approach to understanding the health effects of wildfire and prescribed fire smoke regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williamson, G. J.; Bowman, D. M. J. S.; Price, O. F.; Henderson, S. B.; Johnston, F. H.

2016-12-01

Prescribed burning is used to reduce the occurrence, extent and severity of uncontrolled fires in many flammable landscapes. However, epidemiologic evidence of the human health impacts of landscape fire smoke emissions is shaping fire management practice through increasingly stringent environmental regulation and public health policy. An unresolved question, critical for sustainable fire management, concerns the comparative human health effects of smoke from wild and prescribed fires. Here we review current knowledge of the health effects of landscape fire emissions and consider the similarities and differences in smoke from wild and prescribed fires with respect to the typical combustion conditions and fuel properties, the quality and magnitude of air pollution emissions, and the potential for dispersion to large populations. We further examine the interactions between these considerations, and how they may shape the longer term smoke regimes to which populations are exposed. We identify numerous knowledge gaps and propose a conceptual framework that describes pathways to better understanding of the health trade-offs of prescribed and wildfire smoke regimes.

Working Toward a Healthy Planet

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maynard, Nancy G.

2003-01-01

Using information from NASA s Earth Science Public Health Applications Program, Dr. Maynard will address how remote sensing data and associated technologies can be used toward a better understanding of the links among human health, the environment and weather/climate - and, how this increased understanding plus improved information sharing can empower local health and environmental decision-makers to better predict climate-related health problems, take preventive measures, and improve response actions. Remotely-sensed data and observations are providing powerful new tools for addressing climate and environment-related human health problems through increased capabilities for monitoring and surveillance of parameters useful to such problems as infectious and vector-borne diseases, air and water quality, harmful algal blooms, UV radiation, contaminant and pathogen transport in air and water, and thermal stress. NASA s multi-disciplinary scientific team is demonstrating how satellites from their unique vantage point in space can serve as sentinels for weather, climate, and health problems through studies on asthma, malaria, Rift Valley Fever, Asian and African dust, and West Nile Virus

Violations of human rights: health practitioners as witnesses.

PubMed

Orbinski, James; Beyrer, Chris; Singh, Sonal

2007-08-25

For humanitarian health-care practitioners bearing witness to violations of human dignity has become synonymous with denunciations, human rights advocacy, or lobbying for political change. A strict reliance on legal interpretations of humanitarianism and human rights is inadequate for fully understanding the problems inherent in political change. With examples from the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the USA, the Rwandan genocide, and physician-led political activism in Nepal, we describe three cases in which health practitioners bearing witness to humanitarian and human-rights issues have had imperfect outcomes. However these acts of bearing witness have been central to the promotion of humanitarianism and human rights, to the pursuit of justice that they have inevitably and implicitly endorsed, and thus to the politics that have or might yet address these issues. Despite the imperfections, bearing witness, having first-hand knowledge of humanitarian and human-rights principles and their limitations, and systematically collecting evidence of abuse, can be instrumental in tackling the forces that constrain the realisation of human health and dignity.

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

PubMed Central

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

2012-01-01

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

Arsenic geochemistry and human health in South East Asia

PubMed Central

McCarty, Kathleen M.; Hanh, Hoang Thi; Kim, Kyoung-Woong

2011-01-01

Arsenic occurs naturally in many environmental components and enters the human body through several exposure pathways. Natural enrichment of arsenic may result in considerable contamination of soil, water, and air. Arsenic in groundwater can exceed values hundreds of time higher than the concentration recommended for drinking water. Such exposure levels indicate a serious potential health risk to individuals consuming raw groundwater. Human activities that have an impact on the environment may increase the distribution of inorganic arsenic. Abandoned mines are of great concern due to the extremely high arsenic concentrations detected in mine drainage and tailings. Diet, drinking water, air, soil, and occupational exposures are all sources of inorganic arsenic for humans. Interdisciplinary efforts to better characterize the transport of arsenic and reactants that facilitate their release to the environment are important for human health studies. Multi-disciplinary efforts are needed to study diet, infectious disease, genetics, and cultural practices unique to each region to better understand human health risk and to design public health interventions. PMID:21714384

An Overview of Soils and Human Health - Research Trends and Future Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.; Burgess, Lynn C.; Steffan, Joshua J.; Cerdà, Artemi

2017-04-01

Soils have significant impact on human health, whether those influences are positive or negative, direct or indirect. Soils are a significant source of nutrients in our food supply and medications such as antibiotics. However, nutrient imbalances and the presence of human pathogens in the soil biological community can cause negative impacts on health. There are also many locations where various elements or chemical compounds are found in soils at toxic levels, due to either natural conditions or anthropogenic activities. The soils of urban environments have received increased attention in the last few years, and they too pose a number of human health questions and challenges. Concepts such as soil security may provide a framework within which soils and human health issues can be investigated using interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, as it will take the contributions of experts in a number of different scientific, medical, and social science fields to fully address soils and human health issues. While much progress was made in understanding links between soils and human health over the last century, there is still much we do not know and the interactions between soils and human health are extremely complex. Therefore, there is still significant need for research in this important area.

Meet EPA Scientist Robert Devlin, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientist Dr. Robert Devlin's main research interest is understanding the health effects of air pollution. His research characterizes the effects that inhaled substances, such as air pollutants, have on human pulmonary and cardiovascular health

Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help

MedlinePlus

... as the approach avoids heavy confrontation and incorporates empathy, motivational support, and a focus on changing drinking ... Government Made Easy U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health NIAAA: Understanding the ...

Tumor Grade

MedlinePlus

... may require immediate or more aggressive treatment. The importance of tumor grade in planning treatment and determining ... 7th ed. New York, NY: Springer; 2010. Related Resources Understanding Cancer ... Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute ...

Meeting Report: Methylmercury in Marine Ecosystems—From Sources to Seafood Consumers

PubMed Central

Chen, Celia Y.; Serrell, Nancy; Evers, David C.; Fleishman, Bethany J.; Lambert, Kathleen F.; Weiss, Jeri; Mason, Robert P.; Bank, Michael S.

2008-01-01

Mercury and other contaminants in coastal and open-ocean ecosystems are an issue of great concern globally and in the United States, where consumption of marine fish and shellfish is a major route of human exposure to methylmercury (MeHg). A recent National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences–Superfund Basic Research Program workshop titled “Fate and Bioavailability of Mercury in Aquatic Ecosystems and Effects on Human Exposure,” convened by the Dartmouth Toxic Metals Research Program on 15–16 November 2006 in Durham, New Hampshire, brought together human health experts, marine scientists, and ecotoxicologists to encourage cross-disciplinary discussion between ecosystem and human health scientists and to articulate research and monitoring priorities to better understand how marine food webs have become contaminated with MeHg. Although human health effects of Hg contamination were a major theme, the workshop also explored effects on marine biota. The workgroup focused on three major topics: a) the biogeochemical cycling of Hg in marine ecosystems, b) the trophic transfer and bioaccumulation of MeHg in marine food webs, and c) human exposure to Hg from marine fish and shellfish consumption. The group concluded that current understanding of Hg in marine ecosystems across a range of habitats, chemical conditions, and ocean basins is severely data limited. An integrated research and monitoring program is needed to link the processes and mechanisms of MeHg production, bioaccumulation, and transfer with MeHg exposure in humans. PMID:19079724

The effect of soil on human health: an overview.

PubMed

Steffan, J J; Brevik, E C; Burgess, L C; Cerdà, A

2018-01-01

Soil has a considerable effect on human health, whether those effects are positive or negative, direct or indirect. Soil is an important source of nutrients in our food supply and medicines such as antibiotics. However, nutrient imbalances and the presence of human pathogens in the soil biological community can cause negative effects on health. There are also many locations where various elements or chemical compounds are found in soil at toxic levels, because of either natural conditions or anthropogenic activities. The soil of urban environments has received increased attention in the last few years, and they too pose a number of human health questions and challenges. Concepts such as soil security may provide a framework within which issues on soil and human health can be investigated using interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. It will take the contributions of experts in several different scientific, medical and social science fields to address fully soil and human health issues. Although much progress was made in understanding links between soil and human health over the last century, there is still much that we do not know about the complex interactions between them. Therefore, there is still a considerable need for research in this important area.

The place of human rights and the common good in global health policy.

PubMed

Tasioulas, John; Vayena, Effy

2016-08-01

This article offers an integrated account of two strands of global health justice: health-related human rights and health-related common goods. After sketching a general understanding of the nature of human rights, it proceeds to explain both how individual human rights are to be individuated and the content of their associated obligations specified. With respect to both issues, the human right to health is taken as the primary illustration. It is argued that (1) the individuation of the right to health is fixed by reference to the subject matter of its corresponding obligations, and not by the interests it serves, and (2) the specification of the content of that right must be properly responsive to thresholds of possibility and burden. The article concludes by insisting that human rights cannot constitute the whole of global health justice and that, in addition, other considerations-including the promotion of health-related global public goods-should also shape such policy. Moreover, the relationship between human rights and common goods should not be conceived as mutually exclusive. On the contrary, there sometimes exists an individual right to some aspect of a common good, including a right to benefit from health-related common goods such as programmes for securing herd immunity from diphtheria.

Effect of Personality on the Use and Perceived Utility of Web-Based Health Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hruska, Natalie

2012-01-01

Studies document numerous threats to human health exacerbated by multiple factors, including inadequate access to health-related information. The Internet has developed as one resource to provide health information; however, there remains a significant gap in understanding how personality differences influence the use and perceived utility of the…

Qualitative environmental health research: an analysis of the literature, 1991-2008.

PubMed

Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen

2011-10-01

Qualitative research uses nonnumeric data to understand people's opinions, motives, understanding, and beliefs about events or phenomena. In this analysis, I report the use of qualitative methods and data in the study of the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. A primary search for peer-reviewed journal articles dated from 1991 through 2008 included the following three terms: qualitative, environ*, and health. Searches resulted in 3,155 records. Data were extracted and findings of articles analyzed to determine where and by whom qualitative environmental health research is conducted and published, the types of methods and analyses used in qualitative studies of environmental health, and the types of information qualitative data contribute to environmental health. The results highlight a diversity of disciplines and techniques among researchers who used qualitative methods to study environmental health. Nearly all of the studies identified increased scientific understanding of lay perceptions of environmental health exposures. This analysis demonstrates the potential of qualitative data to improve understanding of complex exposure pathways, including the influence of social factors on environmental health, and health outcomes.

Pushing the boundaries of research on human resources for health: fresh approaches to understanding health worker motivation.

PubMed

Bhatnagar, Aarushi; Scott, Kerry; Govender, Veloshnee; George, Asha

2018-04-01

A country's health workforce plays a vital role not only in serving the health needs of the population but also in supporting economic prosperity. Moreover, a well-funded and well-supported health workforce is vital to achieving universal health coverage and Sustainable Development Goal 3 to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. This perspective article highlights the potential of underutilized health policy and systems research (HPSR) approaches for developing more effective human resources for health policy. The example of health worker motivation is used to showcase four types of HPSR (exploratory, influence, explanatory and emancipatory) that move beyond describing the extent of a problem. Most of the current literature aiming to understand determinants and dynamics of motivation is descriptive in nature. While this is an important basis for all research pursuits, it often gives little information about mechanisms to improve motivation and strategies for intervention. Motivation is an essential determinant of health worker performance, particularly for those working in difficult conditions, such as those facing many health workers in low- and middle-income countries. Motivation mediates health workforce performance in multiple ways: internally governing health worker behaviour; informing decisions on becoming a health worker; workplace location and ability to perform; and influencing willingness to engage politically. The four fresh research approaches described can help policy-makers better understand why health workers behave the way they do, how interventions can improve performance, the mechanisms that lead to change, and strategies for empowering health workers to be agents of change themselves.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, A.

2016-12-01

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

The economics, technology, and neuroscience of human capability formation

PubMed Central

Heckman, James J.

2007-01-01

This article begins the synthesis of two currently unrelated literatures: the human capital approach to health economics and the economics of cognitive and noncognitive skill formation. A lifecycle investment framework is the foundation for understanding the origins of human inequality and for devising policies to reduce it. PMID:17686985

RESEARCH ON ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH INTERVENTIONS: ETHICAL PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS

PubMed Central

RESNIK, DAVID B.; ZELDIN, DARRYL C.; SHARP, RICHARD R.

2014-01-01

This article reviews a variety of ethical issues one must consider when conducting research on environmental health interventions on human subjects. The paper uses the Kennedy Krieger Institute lead abatement study as well as a hypothetical asthma study to discuss questions concerning benefits and risks, risk minimization, safety monitoring, the duty to warn, the duty to report, the use of control groups, informed consent, equitable subject selection, privacy, conflicts of interest, and community consultation. Research on environmental health interventions can make an important contribution to our understanding of human health and disease prevention, provided it is conducted in a manner that meets prevailing scientific, ethical, and legal standards for research on human subjects. PMID:16220621

Combined Biological and Chemical Mechanisms for Degradation of Insensitive Munitions in the Presence of Alternate Explosives

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-21

military facilities and firing ranges, may pose a risk to the environment10 and humans ’ health .13 As such, it may require a remediation plan for the...fire ranges. Nitroaromatic and nitramine compounds such as explosives are carcinogenic and mutagenic so they pose threat to human health and the...detonations. It is crucial to understand their fate and transport in subsurface environments as they can pose a significant hazard to humans and

76 FR 41797 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... implement ATSDR's programs, the agency works with communities by listening to and understanding their health... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [30Day-11-10GY.... Proposed Project Community Assessment and Engagement Process--New--Division of Health Assessment and...

Milestones in Health and Medicine.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harding, Anne S.

This book includes more than 500 entries describing advances in the treatment of disease and the understanding of human health. The emphasis is on significant advances in diseases, treatments, and health issues. Topics included are: alternative or nonwestern medicine; anesthesia and analgesia; antibiotics; cancer; cell biology and physiology;…

Health and human rights: a statistical measurement framework using household survey data in Uganda.

PubMed

Wesonga, Ronald; Owino, Abraham; Ssekiboobo, Agnes; Atuhaire, Leonard; Jehopio, Peter

2015-05-03

Health is intertwined with human rights as is clearly reflected in the right to life. Promotion of health practices in the context of human rights can be accomplished if there is a better understanding of the level of human rights observance. In this paper, we evaluate and present an appraisal for a possibility of applying household survey to study the determinants of health and human rights and also derive the probability that human rights are observed; an important ingredient into the national planning framework. Data from the Uganda National Governance Baseline Survey were used. A conceptual framework for predictors of a hybrid dependent variable was developed and both bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques employed. Multivariate post estimation computations were derived after evaluations of the significance of coefficients of health and human rights predictors. Findings, show that household characteristics of respondents considered in this study were statistically significant (p < 0.05) to provide a reliable assessment of human rights observance. For example, a unit increase of respondents' schooling levels results in an increase of about 34% level of positively assessing human rights observance. Additionally, the study establishes, through the three models presented, that household assessment of health and human rights observance was 20% which also represents how much of the entire continuum of human rights is demanded. Findings propose important evidence for monitoring and evaluation of health in the context human rights using household survey data. They provide a benchmark for health and human rights assessments with a focus on international and national development plans to achieve socio-economic transformation and health in society.

Understanding Anxiety Disorders: When Panic, Fear, and Worries Overwhelm

MedlinePlus

... part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Search form Search Site Menu Home Latest Issue Past Issues Special Issues Subscribe March 2016 Print this issue Understanding Anxiety Disorders When Panic, Fear, and Worries Overwhelm ...

A brief history of soils and human health work and needs for the future

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as circa 1400 B.C. the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. In 400 B.C. the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered ...

Biology of obesity: lessons from animal models of obesity.

PubMed

Kanasaki, Keizo; Koya, Daisuke

2011-01-01

Obesity is an epidemic problem in the world and is associated with several health problems, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory failure, muscle weakness, and cancer. The precise molecular mechanisms by which obesity induces these health problems are not yet clear. To better understand the pathomechanisms of human disease, good animal models are essential. In this paper, we will analyze animal models of obesity and their use in the research of obesity-associated human health conditions and diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Proceedings of the 2013 A.S.P.E.N. Research workshop: the interface between nutrition and the gut microbiome: implications and applications for human health [corrected].

PubMed

Alverdy, John; Gilbert, Jack; DeFazio, Jennifer R; Sadowsky, Michael J; Chang, Eugene B; Morowitz, Michael J; Teitelbaum, Daniel H

2014-02-01

The human and earth microbiomes are among the most important biological agents in understanding and preventing disease. Technology is advancing at a fast pace and allowing for high-resolution analysis of the composition and function of our microbial partners across regions, space, and time. Bioinformaticists and biostatisticians are developing ever more elegant displays to understand the generated megadatasets. A virtual cyberinfrastructure of search engines to cross-reference the rapidly developing data is emerging in line with technologic advances. Nutrition science will reap the benefits of this new field, and its role in preserving the earth and the humans who inhabit it will become evidently clear. In this report we highlight some of the topics of an A.S.P.E.N.-sponsored symposium held during Clinical Nutrition Week in 2013 that address the importance of the human microbiome to human health and disease.

Lessons from Toxicology: Developing a 21st-Century Paradigm for Medical Research

PubMed Central

Austin, Christopher P.; Balapure, Anil K.; Birnbaum, Linda S.; Bucher, John R.; Fentem, Julia; Fitzpatrick, Suzanne C.; Fowle, John R.; Kavlock, Robert J.; Kitano, Hiroaki; Lidbury, Brett A.; Muotri, Alysson R.; Peng, Shuang-Qing; Sakharov, Dmitry; Seidle, Troy; Trez, Thales; Tonevitsky, Alexander; van de Stolpe, Anja; Whelan, Maurice; Willett, Catherine

2015-01-01

Summary Biomedical developments in the 21st century provide an unprecedented opportunity to gain a dynamic systems-level and human-specific understanding of the causes and pathophysiologies of disease. This understanding is a vital need, in view of continuing failures in health research, drug discovery, and clinical translation. The full potential of advanced approaches may not be achieved within a 20th-century conceptual framework dominated by animal models. Novel technologies are being integrated into environmental health research and are also applicable to disease research, but these advances need a new medical research and drug discovery paradigm to gain maximal benefits. We suggest a new conceptual framework that repurposes the 21st-century transition underway in toxicology. Human disease should be conceived as resulting from integrated extrinsic and intrinsic causes, with research focused on modern human-specific models to understand disease pathways at multiple biological levels that are analogous to adverse outcome pathways in toxicology. Systems biology tools should be used to integrate and interpret data about disease causation and pathophysiology. Such an approach promises progress in overcoming the current roadblocks to understanding human disease and successful drug discovery and translation. A discourse should begin now to identify and consider the many challenges and questions that need to be solved. PMID:26523530

'Only connect': the case for public health humanities.

PubMed

Saffran, Lise

2014-12-01

Humanities in health has until now been primarily understood to mean humanities in medicine and has generally failed to include public health. I will argue in this paper that the common justifications for the former--including increased empathy among practitioners--are at least as applicable, if not more, to the latter. Growing emphasis on the social determinants of health and cultural competency in public health require public health students and professionals to develop a nuanced understanding of the influence of social context on health behaviour and to empathise with people in difficult circumstances. Literary fiction has been demonstrated to have an impact on skills related to empathy and social intelligence. Further, translating epidemiological evidence into public policy is a core task of public health and there is a growing body of research to indicate that statistical evidence is more persuasive when combined with narrative evidence. In this article I explore similarities and differences between proposed humanities in public health and programmes in humanities in medicine and highlight research gaps and possible implications of a more expansive view of humanities in health. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Controlled human exposures to diesel exhaust

EPA Science Inventory

Diesel exhaust (DE) is a complex mixture of gaseous and particulate compounds resulting from an incomplete combustion of diesel fuel. Controlled human exposures to DE and diesel exhaust particles (DEP) have contributed to understanding health effects. Such exposure studies of h...

Microbiomes Have the Power to Help or Hinder Your Health

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

Jansson, Janet

They are everywhere: countless microorganisms that inhabit our world—even in your skin, mouth, gut and other parts of your body. Called microbiomes, these communities play a fundamental role in our ecosystem and our bodies, influencing everything from climate to human health. And scientists at PNNL are studying microbiomes to better understand how they influence our daily lives. Scientist Janet Jansson studies complex microbiomes in soil and the human intestine to understand changes in the composition or function of microbes. In the soil, these microbes are associated with carbon cycling and degrading pollutants, as well as plant health. In the intestine,more » they are responsible for digestion of our food and protection from pathogens. When they go awry, they can be associated with numerous inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn’s. Understanding the factors underlying these microbiome changes will ultimately help researchers develop solutions to problems encountered within our world and our bodies.« less

Transformative combinations: women's health and human rights.

PubMed

Yamin, A E

1997-01-01

From the human rights perspective proposed in this article, a woman's good or ill health reflects more than biology or individual behaviors; it reflects her enjoyment (or lack thereof) of fundamental human rights that enable her to exercise basic power over the course and quality of her life. The "structural" view of health that such a human rights perspective suggests is concerned first with identifying the effects of social, economic, and political relations on women's health and then with promoting "interventions" aimed at transforming the laws, institutions, and structures that deny women's rights and well-being. Yet, traditional human rights law and practice have been limited to narrowly defined abuses by public officials against individuals that fail to capture the most pervasive denials of women's rights, which, though rooted in systematic discrimination, are frequently played out in so-called "private" institutions, primarily within the family. The experiences of women's health advocates in addressing complex women's health issues makes it clear that women's lack of access to economic and political power in the public sphere creates the conditions under which they are discriminated against and physically and sexually abused in the private sphere. Combining the pragmatic understanding of women's health professionals with an expansive conception of human rights norms has the potential to transform the fields of women's health and human rights.

The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

This assessment strengthens and expands our understanding of climate-related health impacts by providing a more definitive description of climate-related health burdens in the United States. It builds on the 2014 USGCRP National Climate Assessment and reviews and synthesizes key ...

Learning--Feeling--Doing: Designing Creative Learning Experiences for Elementary Health Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Gwendolyn D.; Carlo, Mona W.

The dynamics of health education are encompassed in understanding human behavior (its causes and consequences), and this book seeks to outline learning experiences that will correspond to specific behavioral objectives relating to health education. The systematic planning and instructional design center around 11 concepts: (1) Growth and…

Neighborhood Comparisons of Dog-Related Health Hazards and Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meade, Melinda

1984-01-01

Undergraduate students increase their understanding of human geography and become aware of their community's health ecology by examining the degree and geographical pattern of dog-associated health hazards in Athens, Georgia, and by studying the behavioral patterns and attitudes of Athens's residents that might be causally related to these health…

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project: Integrating anthropology and biomedicine.

PubMed

Gurven, Michael; Stieglitz, Jonathan; Trumble, Benjamin; Blackwell, Aaron D; Beheim, Bret; Davis, Helen; Hooper, Paul; Kaplan, Hillard

2017-04-01

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio-behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life-history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a high-fertility, kin-based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well-being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project's goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. We reflect on the implications of current findings and highlight the need for more coordinated ethnographic and biomedical study of contemporary nonindustrial populations to address broad questions that can situate evolutionary anthropology in a key position within the social and life sciences. © 2017 The Authors Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Power, Politics, and Health: A New Public Health Practice Targeting the Root Causes of Health Equity.

PubMed

Iton, Anthony; Shrimali, Bina Patel

2016-08-01

Purpose Understanding the WHY, WHAT, and HOW of place-based work in maternal and child health (MCH) is critical to examining the components of the environment that shape health opportunity through the relationship between life expectancy and neighborhood residence. Description On September 18, 2014, during the CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference, Dr. Anthony Iton provided the Keynote Address focused on the root causes of health inequities. Assessment The address focused on issues of equity in California and initiatives designed to mitigate and prevent disparities, including the Bay Area Regional Health Equities Initiative framework. Dr. Iton presented information on how the framework translated into investment strategies and a policy and systems change approach to place-based work. Conclusion The field of MCH, because of its focus on supporting health during critical periods of development, is poised to play a significant role in reducing health inequities. Recognizing that human health suffers when low income communities are passive, disenfranchised and disorganized, in order to change this status quo, understanding that human capital is the greatest asset is the urgent challenge to the field of MCH.

Using Satellite Remote Sensing and Household Survey Data to Assess Human Health and Nutrition Response to Environmental Change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Molly E.; Grace, Kathryn; Shively, Gerald; Johnson, Kiersten B.; Carroll, Mark

2014-01-01

Climate change and degradation of ecosystem services functioning may threaten the ability of current agricultural systems to keep up with demand for adequate and inexpensive food and for clean water, waste disposal and other broader ecosystem services. Human health is likely to be affected by changes occurring across multiple geographic and time scales. Impacts range from increasing transmissibility and the range of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and yellow fever, to undermining nutrition through deleterious impacts on food production and concomitant increases in food prices. This paper uses case studies to describe methods that make use of satellite remote sensing and Demographic and Health Survey data to better understand individual-level human health and nutrition outcomes. By bringing these diverse datasets together, the connection between environmental change and human health outcomes can be described through new research and analysis.

Climate change and Australia's healthcare system - risks, research and responses.

PubMed

Weaver, Haylee J; Blashki, Grant A; Capon, Anthony G; McMichael, Anthony J

2010-11-01

Climate change will affect human health, mostly adversely, resulting in a greater burden on the health care system, in addition to any other coexistent increases in demand (e.g. from Australia's increasingly ageing population). Understanding the extent to which health is likely to be affected by climate change will enable policy makers and practitioners to prepare for changing demands on the health care system. This will require prioritisation of key research questions and building research capacity in the field. There is an urgent need to better understand the implications of climate change for the distribution and prevalence of diseases, disaster preparedness and multidisciplinary service planning. Research is needed to understand the relationship of climate change to health promotion, policy evaluation and strategic financing of health services. Training of health care professionals about climate change and its effects will also be important in meeting long-term workforce demands.

78 FR 63988 - Clinical Investigator Training Course

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

... communication between clinical investigators and FDA; Enhance investigators' understanding of FDA's role in... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-N-1214... support regulatory decisions. This course is intended to assist clinical investigators in understanding...

77 FR 27778 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Administration for Children and Families Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Title: Understanding Urban Indians' Interactions with ACF Programs and Services. OMB No.: New Collection. Description: As part of the ``Understanding Urban Indians' Interactions...

Contributions of Nonhuman Primates to Research on Aging

PubMed Central

Didier, E. S.; MacLean, A. G.; Mohan, M.; Didier, P. J.; Lackner, A. A.; Kuroda, M. J.

2016-01-01

Aging is the biological process of declining physiologic function associated with increasing mortality rate during advancing age. Humans and higher nonhuman primates exhibit unusually longer average life spans as compared with mammals of similar body mass. Furthermore, the population of humans worldwide is growing older as a result of improvements in public health, social services, and health care systems. Comparative studies among a wide range of organisms that include nonhuman primates contribute greatly to our understanding about the basic mechanisms of aging. Based on their genetic and physiologic relatedness to humans, nonhuman primates are especially important for better understanding processes of aging unique to primates, as well as for testing intervention strategies to improve healthy aging and to treat diseases and disabilities in older people. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are the predominant monkeys used in studies on aging, but research with lower nonhuman primate species is increasing. One of the priority topics of research about aging in nonhuman primates involves neurologic changes associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Additional areas of research include osteoporosis, reproductive decline, caloric restriction, and their mimetics, as well as immune senescence and chronic inflammation that affect vaccine efficacy and resistance to infections and cancer. The purpose of this review is to highlight the findings from nonhuman primate research that contribute to our understanding about aging and health span in humans. PMID:26869153

Contributions of Nonhuman Primates to Research on Aging.

PubMed

Didier, E S; MacLean, A G; Mohan, M; Didier, P J; Lackner, A A; Kuroda, M J

2016-03-01

Aging is the biological process of declining physiologic function associated with increasing mortality rate during advancing age. Humans and higher nonhuman primates exhibit unusually longer average life spans as compared with mammals of similar body mass. Furthermore, the population of humans worldwide is growing older as a result of improvements in public health, social services, and health care systems. Comparative studies among a wide range of organisms that include nonhuman primates contribute greatly to our understanding about the basic mechanisms of aging. Based on their genetic and physiologic relatedness to humans, nonhuman primates are especially important for better understanding processes of aging unique to primates, as well as for testing intervention strategies to improve healthy aging and to treat diseases and disabilities in older people. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are the predominant monkeys used in studies on aging, but research with lower nonhuman primate species is increasing. One of the priority topics of research about aging in nonhuman primates involves neurologic changes associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Additional areas of research include osteoporosis, reproductive decline, caloric restriction, and their mimetics, as well as immune senescence and chronic inflammation that affect vaccine efficacy and resistance to infections and cancer. The purpose of this review is to highlight the findings from nonhuman primate research that contribute to our understanding about aging and health span in humans. © The Author(s) 2016.

Pharmacokinetic Evaluation of Permethrin Enantiomers in Rat Tissues

EPA Science Inventory

Pyrethroids are neurotoxic insecticides that are used in agricultural, residential, and public health activities. The ubiquitous exposures to pyrethroids require understanding of the risk posed to human and ecological health. Since identification of the active toxicophore is es...

Gaps in the evidence about companion animals and human health: some suggestions for progress.

PubMed

Chur-Hansen, Anna; Stern, Cindy; Winefield, Helen

2010-09-01

A number of researchers have explored the relationship between companion animal ownership and human physical and psychological health. Results have been inconclusive, with positive, neutral and negative effects variously reported in the literature. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms of any influence are frustratingly unclear. A number of conceptual and methodological weaknesses have hampered progress in our understanding of how companion animals may impact upon human health. The two evidence gaps discussed in this paper, with suggestions for needed next steps, are: (i) a preponderance of anecdotal reports and cross-sectional research designs; and (ii) failure to control for a host of other known influences on human health including health habits, level of attachment to the companion animal and human social supports. Finally, an example of these gaps is provided in relation to the literature on the effects of animals on elderly nursing home residents. © 2010 The Authors. International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The Human Placenta Project: Placental Structure, Development, and Function in Real Time

PubMed Central

Guttmacher, Alan E.; Maddox, Yvonne T.; Spong, Catherine Y.

2014-01-01

Despite its crucial role in the health of both the fetus and the pregnant woman, the placenta is the least understood human organ. Since a growing body of evidence also underscores the importance of placental development in the lifelong health of both mother and offspring, this lack of knowledge about placental structure and function is particularly concerning. Given modern approaches and technologies and the ability to develop new methods, we propose a coordinated “Human Placenta Project,” with the ultimate goal of understanding human placental structure, development, and function in real time. PMID:24661567

Influence of Humans on Evolution and Mobilization of Environmental Antibiotic Resistome

PubMed Central

Gaze, William H.; Krone, Stephen M.; Larsson, D.G. Joakim; Li, Xian-Zhi; Robinson, Joseph A.; Simonet, Pascal; Smalla, Kornelia; Timinouni, Mohammed; Topp, Ed; Wellington, Elizabeth M.; Zhu, Yong-Guan

2013-01-01

The clinical failure of antimicrobial drugs that were previously effective in controlling infectious disease is a tragedy of increasing magnitude that gravely affects human health. This resistance by pathogens is often the endpoint of an evolutionary process that began billions of years ago in non–disease-causing microorganisms. This environmental resistome, its mobilization, and the conditions that facilitate its entry into human pathogens are at the heart of the current public health crisis in antibiotic resistance. Understanding the origins, evolution, and mechanisms of transfer of resistance elements is vital to our ability to adequately address this public health issue. PMID:23764294

Differential Decomposition of Bacterial and Viral Fecal Indicators in Common Human Pollution Types

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the decomposition of microorganisms associated with different human fecal pollution types is necessary for proper implementation of many water qualitymanagement practices, as well as predicting associated public health risks. Here, thedecomposition of select cultiva...

Tracking the pathway of arsenic metabolism

EPA Science Inventory

Although the toxic and carcinogenic properties of arsenic have been recognized for centuries, only in the past few decades has research focused on understanding the metabolic fate of arsenic in humans and relating metabolism to adverse health effects. In humans, conversion of in...

Representation of People's Decisions in Health Information Systems. A Complementary Approach for Understanding Health Care Systems and Population Health.

PubMed

Gonzalez Bernaldo de Quiros, Fernan; Dawidowski, Adriana R; Figar, Silvana

2017-02-01

In this study, we aimed: 1) to conceptualize the theoretical challenges facing health information systems (HIS) to represent patients' decisions about health and medical treatments in everyday life; 2) to suggest approaches for modeling these processes. The conceptualization of the theoretical and methodological challenges was discussed in 2015 during a series of interdisciplinary meetings attended by health informatics staff, epidemiologists and health professionals working in quality management and primary and secondary prevention of chronic diseases of the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, together with sociologists, anthropologists and e-health stakeholders. HIS are facing the need and challenge to represent social human processes based on constructivist and complexity theories, which are the current frameworks of human sciences for understanding human learning and socio-cultural changes. Computer systems based on these theories can model processes of social construction of concrete and subjective entities and the interrelationships between them. These theories could be implemented, among other ways, through the mapping of health assets, analysis of social impact through community trials and modeling of complexity with system simulation tools. This analysis suggested the need to complement the traditional linear causal explanations of disease onset (and treatments) that are the bases for models of analysis of HIS with constructivist and complexity frameworks. Both may enlighten the complex interrelationships among patients, health services and the health system. The aim of this strategy is to clarify people's decision making processes to improve the efficiency, quality and equity of the health services and the health system.

Trend of toxocariasis in Iran: a review on human and animal dimensions

PubMed Central

Zibaei, M.; Sadjjadi, S. M.

2017-01-01

One of the neglected soil and/or food-borne diseases with international public health importance is toxocariasis. Human cases are being increasingly reported from Asian, African, Oceania, European and the American countries. Hence, human toxocariasis (HT) is now considered as a major zoonosis with global and regional importance. In Iran, human and animal toxocariasis is an endemic disease with clinical and epidemiologic health problem aspects. Doubtless, understanding the epidemiology and the trend of this important parasitic disease and its affecting factors will provide the establishment of effective prevention and control programs. To better understand the trend of toxocariasis researches in Iran, this study was performed to analyze different aspects of this zoonotic disease including history, life cycle, species, human animals and environmental studies, diagnostic aspects and treatments to find out the gaps, including different aspects of clinical sings in human patients, new and specific recombinant antigens based on the native antigens, new diagnostic tools, especially rapid diagnostic tests, paratenic hosts status and new treatment procedures which is necessary to be investigated in the future studies on this important zoonotic disease. PMID:29387094

Archaeogenetics in evolutionary medicine.

PubMed

Bouwman, Abigail; Rühli, Frank

2016-09-01

Archaeogenetics is the study of exploration of ancient DNA (aDNA) of more than 70 years old. It is an important part of the wider studies of many different areas of our past, including animal, plant and pathogen evolution and domestication events. Hereby, we address specifically the impact of research in archaeogenetics in the broader field of evolutionary medicine. Studies on ancient hominid genomes help to understand even modern health patterns. Human genetic microevolution, e.g. related to abilities of post-weaning milk consumption, and specifically genetic adaptation in disease susceptibility, e.g. towards malaria and other infectious diseases, are of the upmost importance in contributions of archeogenetics on the evolutionary understanding of human health and disease. With the increase in both the understanding of modern medical genetics and the ability to deep sequence ancient genetic information, the field of archaeogenetic evolutionary medicine is blossoming.

Status of marine biomedical research.

PubMed Central

Bessey, O

1976-01-01

A meeting on Marine Biomedical Research, sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health and the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History, was attended by approximately 125 scientists, directors and representatives from many of the country's marine biological laboratories, and government agencies whose interests and responsibilites are in the marine biology and health areas. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the undeveloped research opportunities in the area of marine biology for the advancement of our understanding of human health problems and to provide information on the current status of marine biology laboratories. The meeting was devoted to presentations and discussions in four general areas: (1)Marine Species as Models for Human Disease; (2)Environmental Carcinogenesis and Mutagenesis; (3)Human Health and the Marine Environment--infectious agents and naturally occurring and foreign toxins; and (4)Drugs from the seas. Representatives from twelve of the country's approximatley 40 marine laboratories discussed their organization, developmental history, scientific programs, facilities, and present status of their support. The presentations served as a background and stimulated very lively analytical and constructive discussions of the undeveloped research and education potential residing in the marine environment and biological laboratories for a better understanding of many human health problems; some scientific areas that should be developed to realize this potential; and the needs and problems of marine laboratories that require attention and support if they are to survive and realize their possibilities. PMID:944630

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

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

[HPV vaccine implementation in Chile: an appraisal from the social determinants of health model].

PubMed

Fernández González, Loreto

2017-12-01

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common neoplasm in women worldwide and its incidence is associated with profound social inequities. In Chile, it is the second cause of death in women of reproductive age. The Chilean clinical guideline identifies the vaccine against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) as the main preventive measure. Since 2014, the Ministry of Health has implemented free immunization against HPV for girls and female adolescents. This article critically analyzes this public policy from the viewpoint of health equity, using as framework the Social Determinants of Health Model. Specifically, we address the structural determinants of income and gender, which act as material and social barriers for achieving immunization, affecting protection against cervical cancer. These barriers correspond to the high cost of the vaccine, and social attitudes/cultural beliefs towards sexual behavior in Latin America and Chile that affect the acceptability of vaccination. The Social Determinants of Health Model constitutes a useful tool for identifying health inequities and understanding public policy from an equity viewpoint that complements the biomedical and epidemiological understanding of disease. In this topic, the initiative aims to strengthen the idea of health as a human right and health promotion as an essential function of public health policy.

Growth and Development Symposium: promoting healthier humans through healthier livestock: animal agriculture enters the metagenomics era.

PubMed

Frank, D N

2011-03-01

The priorities of public health and agricultural sciences intersect through a shared objective to foster better human health. Enhancements in food quality and reductions in the environmental effects of modern agriculture represent 2 distinct paths through which animal sciences can contribute to the cause of public health. Recent developments in the study of human-associated microbial communities (microbiotas), notably in association with disease, indicate that better understanding of the microbial ecology of livestock can contribute to achieving the goals of better foods and a cleaner environment. Culture-independent microbiological technologies now permit comprehensive study of complex microbial communities in their natural environments. Microbiotas associated with both humans and animals provide myriad beneficial services to their hosts that, if lost or diminished, could compromise host health. Dysfunctional microbial communities have been noted in several human conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Examination of the mechanisms by which the human microbiota influences health and disease susceptibility can inform similar studies of host-microbe function in the animal sciences. Insights gained from human studies indicate strategies to raise not only healthier livestock, through selective manipulation of microbial communities, but also healthier humans.

Integrating Human Health and Ecological Integrity into a Systems Framework

EPA Science Inventory

Unintended and long-term effects of environmental decisions on public health, social welfare and economic stability are difficult to understand, much less anticipate. This is partly because environmental decisions are too often considered separate from factors that determine indi...

Nature contact and human health: A research agenda

Treesearch

Howard Frumkin; Gregory N. Bratman; Sara Jo Breslow; Bobby Cochran; Peter H. Kahn Jr; Joshua J. Lawler; Phillip S. Levin; Pooja S. Tandon; Usha Varanasi; Kathleen L. Wolf; Spencer A. Wood

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. OBJECTIVES: We propose a research...

Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST): A Resource for Tribes

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

tool designed to provide tribes with easy access to human health and ecological science so they can prioritize environmental issues, understand exposure pathways, and conduct comprehensive impact assessments to improve public health and the environment

An exploratory study of adolescent female reactions to direct-to-consumer advertising: the case of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine.

PubMed

Leader, Amy E; Cashman, Rebecca; Voytek, Chelsea D; Baker, Jillian L; Brawner, Bridgette M; Frank, Ian

2011-10-01

When the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine was approved in 2006, an extensive direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising campaign raised awareness and promoted vaccination. This study explores adolescents' exposure to and understanding of the messages in these advertisements. Sixty-seven African American females participated in a focus group about DTC advertising for the HPV vaccine. Virtually all adolescents had seen an HPV vaccine DTC advertisement, but most did not understand the health information contained in it. If DTC advertising is to be an effective source of health information for adolescents in the future, it must take into account the unique features of an adolescent audience.

Health and Mental Health Policies' Role in Better Understanding and Closing African American-White American Disparities in Treatment Access and Quality of Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snowden, Lonnie R.

2012-01-01

Since publication of the U.S. Surgeon General's report "Mental Health: Culture, Race and Ethnicity--A Supplement to Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2001), several federal initiatives signal a sustained focus on addressing African American-White American disparities in mental health…

LINKING EXPOSURES TO INTERNAL DOSES USING BIOMARKERS

EPA Science Inventory

Biomonitoring is a useful tool to help assess human exposures/internal doses to chemicals in the environment. This research contributes to EPA's mission to protect human health by understanding what chemicals people are exposed to in their daily environments. In this task, we wil...

Update to the U.S. EPA's Guidelines for Human Exposure Assessment.

EPA Science Inventory

The mission of the U.S. EPA is to protect human health and the environment by understanding, characterizing, and reducing risks associated with exposure to environmental contaminants. Exposure science characterizes, estimates, and predicts exposures and provides information for d...

COMPLEX MIXTURES OF CHEMICAL CARCINOGENS: PRINCIPLES OF ACTION AND HUMAN CANCER

EPA Science Inventory

There is strong epidemiological evidence supported by experimental animal data that complex environmental mixtures pose a risk to human health producing increases in cancer incidence. Understanding the chemical and biological properties of these mixtures leads to a clearer unde...

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

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

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

76 FR 74791 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0005] Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's... memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Agricultural and Marketing...

75 FR 29561 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Drugs.Com

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0004] [FDA 225-09-0012] Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Drugs.Com... Administration (FDA) is providing notice of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between FDA and Drugs.Com. The...

75 FR 34464 - Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Drugs.Com; Correction of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0004] FDA 225-09-0012 Memorandum of Understanding Between the Food and Drug Administration and Drugs.Com... date of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between FDA and Drugs.Com that published in the Federal...

Physiologic Basis for Understanding Quantitative Dehydration Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Perspective Physiologic basis for understanding quantitative dehydration assessment1–4 Samuel N Cheuvront, Robert W Kenefick, Nisha Charkoudian, and...Michael N Sawka ABSTRACT Dehydration (body water deficit) is a physiologic state that can have profound implications for human health and performance...review the physiologic basis for understanding quantitative dehydration as- sessment. We highlight how phenomenologic interpretations of de- hydration

Ten approaches for enhancing empathy in health and human services cultures.

PubMed

Hojat, Mohammadreza

2009-01-01

Empathy is defined as a predominantly cognitive attribute that involves an understanding of experiences, concerns and perspectives of another person, combined with a capacity to communicate this understanding. Empathy in the context of clinical care can lead to positive patient outcomes including greater patient satisfaction and compliance, lower rates of malpractice litigation, lower cost of medical care, and lower rate of medical errors. Also, health professionals' wellbeing is associated with higher empathy. Enhancing empathic engagement in patient care is one of the important tasks of medical education. In this article, I briefly describe 10 approaches for enhancing empathy in the health care environment: improving interpersonal skills, audio- or video-taping of encounters with patients, exposure to role models, role playing (aging game), shadowing a patient (patient navigator), hospitalization experiences, studying literature and the arts, improving narrative skills, theatrical performances, and the Balint method. I conclude that empathic engagement in the health care and human services is beneficial not only to the patients, but also to physicians, other health care providers, administrators, managers, health care institutions, and the public at large.

Limitations in predicting the space radiation health risk for exploration astronauts.

PubMed

Chancellor, Jeffery C; Blue, Rebecca S; Cengel, Keith A; Auñón-Chancellor, Serena M; Rubins, Kathleen H; Katzgraber, Helmut G; Kennedy, Ann R

2018-01-01

Despite years of research, understanding of the space radiation environment and the risk it poses to long-duration astronauts remains limited. There is a disparity between research results and observed empirical effects seen in human astronaut crews, likely due to the numerous factors that limit terrestrial simulation of the complex space environment and extrapolation of human clinical consequences from varied animal models. Given the intended future of human spaceflight, with efforts now to rapidly expand capabilities for human missions to the moon and Mars, there is a pressing need to improve upon the understanding of the space radiation risk, predict likely clinical outcomes of interplanetary radiation exposure, and develop appropriate and effective mitigation strategies for future missions. To achieve this goal, the space radiation and aerospace community must recognize the historical limitations of radiation research and how such limitations could be addressed in future research endeavors. We have sought to highlight the numerous factors that limit understanding of the risk of space radiation for human crews and to identify ways in which these limitations could be addressed for improved understanding and appropriate risk posture regarding future human spaceflight.

U.S. Funding is insufficient to address the human health impacts of and public health responses to climate variability and change.

PubMed

Ebi, Kristie L; Balbus, John; Kinney, Patrick L; Lipp, Erin; Mills, David; O'Neill, Marie S; Wilson, Mark L

2009-06-01

The need to identify and try to prevent adverse health impacts of climate change has risen to the forefront of climate change policy debates and become a top priority of the public health community. Given the observed and projected changes in climate and weather patterns, their current and anticipated health impacts, and the significant degree of regulatory discussion underway in the U.S. government, it is reasonable to determine the extent of federal investment in research to understand, avoid, prepare for, and respond to the human health impacts of climate change in the United States. In this commentary we summarize the health risks of climate change in the United States and examine the extent of federal funding devoted to understanding, avoiding, preparing for, and responding to the human health risks of climate change. Future climate change is projected to exacerbate various current health problems, including heat-related mortality, diarrheal diseases, and diseases associated with exposure to ozone and aeroallergens. Demographic trends and geophysical and socioeconomic factors could increase overall vulnerability. Despite these risks, extramural federal funding of climate change and health research is estimated to be < $3 million per year. Given the real risks that climate change poses for U.S. populations, the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies need to have robust intramural and extramural programs, with funding of > $200 million annually. Oversight of the size and priorities of these programs could be provided by a standing committee within the National Academy of Sciences.

Reconciling "stress" and "health" in physical anthropology: what can bioarchaeologists learn from the other subdisciplines?

PubMed

Reitsema, Laurie J; McIlvaine, Britney Kyle

2014-10-01

The concepts of "stress" and "health" are foundational in physical anthropology as guidelines for interpreting human behavior and biocultural adaptation in the past and present. Though related, stress and health are not coterminous, and while the term "health" encompasses some aspects of "stress," health refers to a more holistic condition beyond just physiological disruption, and is of considerable significance in contributing to anthropologists' understanding of humanity's lived experiences. Bioarchaeological interpretations of human health generally are made from datasets consisting of skeletal markers of stress, markers that result from (chronic) physiological disruption (e.g., porotic hyperostosis; linear enamel hypoplasia). Non-specific indicators of stress may measure episodes of stress and indicate that infection, disease, or nutritional deficiencies were present in a population, but in assessing these markers, bioarchaeologists are not measuring "health" in the same way as are human biologists, medical anthropologists, or primatologists. Rather than continue to diverge on separate (albeit parallel) trajectories, bioarchaeologists are advised to pursue interlinkages with other subfields within physical anthropology toward bridging "stress" and "health." The papers in this special symposium set include bioarchaeologists, human biologists, molecular anthropologists, and primatologists whose research develops this link between the concepts of "stress" and "health," encouraging new avenues for bioarchaeologists to consider and reconsider health in past human populations. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Understanding the Apothecaries Within: The Necessity of a Systematic Approach for Defining the Chemical Output of the Human Microbiome

PubMed Central

Sampey, Brante; Watkins, Steven M.; Milburn, Michael; Eckhart, Andrea D.

2014-01-01

Abstract The human microbiome harbors a massive diversity of microbes that effectively form an “organ” that strongly influences metabolism and immune function and hence, human health. Although the growing interest in the microbiome has chiefly arisen due to its impact on human physiology, the probable rules of operation are embedded in the roots of microbiology where chemical communication (i.e., with metabolites) is a dominant feature of coexistence. Indeed, recent examples in microbiome research offer the impression that the collective microbiome operates as an “apothecary,” creating chemical concoctions that influence health and alter drug response. Although these principles are not unappreciated, the majority of emphasis is on metagenomics and research efforts often omit systematic efforts to interrogate the chemical component of the complex equation between microbial community and host phenotype. One of the reasons for this omission may be due to the inaccessibility to high‐breadth, high‐throughput, and scalable technologies. Since these technologies are now available, we propose that a more systematic effort to survey the host–microbiota chemical output be embedded into microbiome research as there is strong likelihood, and growing precedence, that this component may often be integral to developing our understanding of these ultimate apothecaries and how they impact human health. PMID:24422665

Who speaks for whom? Health humanities and the ethics of representation.

PubMed

Garden, Rebecca

2015-12-01

The medical or health humanities are in essence a form of advocacy, a means of addressing a problem of underrepresentation. They focus on suffering, rather than pathology, and on sociocultural understandings of illness and disability, rather than a narrow biomedical perspective. The health humanities thus analyse and attempt to recalibrate the power imbalance in healthcare. This article reviews health humanities scholarship that addresses underrepresentation through the analysis of illness and disability narratives. It examines the ethics of representation by exploring how literary representation functions, its aesthetic as well as political dimensions, and how it operates as a relay mechanism for power. The mechanism of representation is further explored through a reading of Eli Clare's narrative Exile and Pride. Donna Haraway's notion of articulations is proposed as a tool for a more ethical approach to representation. The article suggests that transparency about the power health humanities scholars stand to gain through representation may contribute to a more ethical health humanities practice. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Accountability for the human right to health through treaty monitoring: Human rights treaty bodies and the influence of concluding observations.

PubMed

Meier, Benjamin Mason; De Milliano, Marlous; Chakrabarti, Averi; Kim, Yuna

2017-11-04

Employing novel coding methods to evaluate human rights monitoring, this article examines the influence of United Nations (UN) treaty bodies on national implementation of the human right to health. The advancement of the right to health in the UN human rights system has shifted over the past 20 years from the development of norms under international law to the implementation of those norms through national policy. Facilitating accountability for this rights-based policy implementation under the right to health, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) monitors state implementation by reviewing periodic reports from state parties, engaging in formal sessions of 'constructive dialogue' with state representatives, and issuing concluding observations for state response. These concluding observations recognise the positive steps taken by states and highlight the principal areas of CESCR concern, providing recommendations for implementing human rights and detailing issues to be addressed in the next state report. Through analytic coding of the normative indicators of the right to health in both state reports and concluding observations, this article provides an empirical basis to understand the policy effects of the CESCR monitoring process on state implementation of the right to health.

EPA's Report on the Environment (Roe) (2008 Final Report) ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA released the final report, EPA's 2008 Report on the Environment (EPA 2008 ROE), a science-based report that answers questions about recent trends in human health and the environment. This report aids the American people with an important resource from which they can better understand trends in the condition of the air, water, land, and human health of the United States. This report uses scientifically sound measures, called indicators, to address fundamental questions relevant to the EPA's mission to protect the environment and human health. To accomplish its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA must pay close attention to trends in the condition of the Nation's environment. This kind of information, which is captured in EPA's 2008 ROE, can help EPA to prioritize its work and to focus on human health and ecological activities that can lead to improvements in the conditions of the Nation's environment. The purpose of EPA’s ROE 2007 is to compile the most reliable indicators currently available that help answer a series of questions about trends in the environment and human health that EPA believes are of critical importance to its mission and to the national interest.

Non-communicable diseases and human rights: Global synergies, gaps and opportunities.

PubMed

Ferguson, Laura; Tarantola, Daniel; Hoffmann, Michael; Gruskin, Sofia

2017-10-01

The incorporation of human rights in health policy and programmes is known to strengthen responses to health problems and help address disparities created or exacerbated by illness yet this remains underexplored in relation to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Aiming to understand existing synergies and how they might be further strengthened, we assessed the extent to which human rights are considered in global NCD policies and strategies and the degree of attention given to NCDs by select United Nations human rights mechanisms. Across global NCD policies and strategies, rhetorical assertions regarding human rights appear more often than actionable statements, thus limiting their implementation and impact. Although no human rights treaty explicitly mentions NCDs, some human rights monitoring mechanisms have been paying increasing attention to NCDs. This provides important avenues for promoting the incorporation of human rights norms and standards into NCD responses as well as for accountability. Linking NCDs and human rights at the global level is critical for encouraging national-level action to promote better outcomes relating to both health and human rights. The post-2015 development agenda constitutes a key entry point for highlighting these synergies and strengthening opportunities for health and rights action at global, national and local levels.

Health needs: the interface between the discourse of health professionals and victimized women1

PubMed Central

de Oliveira, Rebeca Nunes Guedes; da Fonseca, Rosa Maria Godoy Serpa

2015-01-01

Objective: to understand the limits and the evaluative possibilities of the Family Health Strategy regarding the recognition of the health needs of women who experience violence. Method: a study with a qualitative approach, grounded in the perspective of gender, and which adopted health needs as the analytical category. The data were collected through interviews with health professionals and women who made use of a health service, and were analyzed using the method of discourse analysis. Results: the meeting between the discourses of women who use the services and the professionals of the health service revealed, as the interface, human needs, as in the example of autonomy and of bonds. The understanding regarding the needs was limited to the recognition of health problems of physical and psychological natures, just as the predominance of the recognition of needs for maintaining life in the light of essentially human needs was revealed in the professionals' discourses as an important limitation of the practices. Conclusion: emphasis is placed on the perspective of gender as a tool which must be aggregated to the routine of the professional practices in health so as to confirm or deny the transformative character of the care in place regarding the recognition and confronting of the women's health needs. PMID:26039301

42 CFR 52h.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... understanding to develop useful materials, devices, systems, or methods. (u) Scientific review group has the... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW OF RESEARCH... the review (the Scientific Review Administrator or equivalent) will evaluate the appearance of a...

42 CFR 52h.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... understanding to develop useful materials, devices, systems, or methods. (u) Scientific review group has the... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW OF RESEARCH... the review (the Scientific Review Administrator or equivalent) will evaluate the appearance of a...

42 CFR 52h.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... understanding to develop useful materials, devices, systems, or methods. (u) Scientific review group has the... PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GRANTS SCIENTIFIC PEER REVIEW OF RESEARCH... the review (the Scientific Review Administrator or equivalent) will evaluate the appearance of a...

PROJECTING POLLEN ALLERGENS AND THEIR HEALTH IMPLICATIONS IN A CHANGING WORLD

EPA Science Inventory

This project will increase our basic understanding of the links between climatic conditions and atmospheric concentrations of pollen and pollen-derived respirable allergenic material, and impacts of airborne pollen on human health. The work will result in new parameterization...

The role of the microbiome for human health: from basic science to clinical applications.

PubMed

Mohajeri, M Hasan; Brummer, Robert J M; Rastall, Robert A; Weersma, Rinse K; Harmsen, Hermie J M; Faas, Marijke; Eggersdorfer, Manfred

2018-05-10

The 2017 annual symposium organized by the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands focused on the role of the gut microbiome in human health and disease. Experts from academia and industry examined interactions of prebiotics, probiotics, or vitamins with the gut microbiome in health and disease, the development of the microbiome in early-life and the role of the microbiome on the gut-brain axis. The gut microbiota changes dramatically during pregnancy and intrinsic factors (such as stress), in addition to extrinsic factors (such as diet, and drugs) influence the composition and activity of the gut microbiome throughout life. Microbial metabolites, e.g. short-chain fatty acids affect gut-brain signaling and the immune response. The gut microbiota has a regulatory role on anxiety, mood, cognition and pain which is exerted via the gut-brain axis. Ingestion of prebiotics or probiotics has been used to treat a range of conditions including constipation, allergic reactions and infections in infancy, and IBS. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) highly effective for treating recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. The gut microbiome affects virtually all aspects of human health, but the degree of scientific evidence, the models and technologies and the understanding of mechanisms of action vary considerably from one benefit area to the other. For a clinical practice to be broadly accepted, the mode of action, the therapeutic window, and potential side effects need to thoroughly be investigated. This calls for further coordinated state-of-the art research to better understand and document the human gut microbiome's effects on human health.

Water & Sanitation: An Essential Battlefront in the War on Antimicrobial Resistance.

PubMed

Bürgmann, Helmut; Frigon, Dominic; Gaze, William; Manaia, Célia; Pruden, Amy; Singer, Andrew C; Smets, Barth; Zhang, Tong

2018-06-05

Water and sanitation represents a key battlefront in combating the spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Basic water sanitation infrastructure is an essential first step to protecting public health, thereby limiting the spread of pathogens and the need for antibiotics. AMR presents unique human health risks, meriting new risk assessment frameworks specifically adapted to water and sanitation-borne AMR. There are numerous exposure routes to AMR originating from human waste, each of which must be quantified for its relative risk to human health. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) play a vital role in centralized collection and treatment of human sewage, but there are numerous unresolved questions in terms of the microbial ecological processes occurring within and the extent to which they attenuate or amplify AMR. Research is needed to advance understanding of the fate of resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in various waste management systems, depending on the local constraints and intended re-use applications. WHO and national AMR action plans would benefit from a more holistic 'One Water' understanding. Here we provide a framework for research, policy, practice, and public engagement aimed at limiting the spread of AMR from water and sanitation in both low-, medium- and high-income countries, alike.

The status of tularemia in Europe in a one-health context: a review.

PubMed

Hestvik, G; Warns-Petit, E; Smith, L A; Fox, N J; Uhlhorn, H; Artois, M; Hannant, D; Hutchings, M R; Mattsson, R; Yon, L; Gavier-Widen, D

2015-07-01

The bacterium Francisella tularensis causes the vector-borne zoonotic disease tularemia, and may infect a wide range of hosts including invertebrates, mammals and birds. Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected animals or contaminated environments, or through arthropod vectors. Tularemia has a broad geographical distribution, and there is evidence which suggests local emergence or re-emergence of this disease in Europe. This review was developed to provide an update on the geographical distribution of F. tularensis in humans, wildlife, domestic animals and vector species, to identify potential public health hazards, and to characterize the epidemiology of tularemia in Europe. Information was collated on cases in humans, domestic animals and wildlife, and on reports of detection of the bacterium in arthropod vectors, from 38 European countries for the period 1992-2012. Multiple international databases on human and animal health were consulted, as well as published reports in the literature. Tularemia is a disease of complex epidemiology that is challenging to understand and therefore to control. Many aspects of this disease remain poorly understood. Better understanding is needed of the epidemiological role of animal hosts, potential vectors, mechanisms of maintenance in the different ecosystems, and routes of transmission of the disease.

Wildfire smoke exposure and human health: Significant gaps in research for a growing public health issue.

PubMed

Black, Carolyn; Tesfaigzi, Yohannes; Bassein, Jed A; Miller, Lisa A

2017-10-01

Understanding the effect of wildfire smoke exposure on human health represents a unique interdisciplinary challenge to the scientific community. Population health studies indicate that wildfire smoke is a risk to human health and increases the healthcare burden of smoke-impacted areas. However, wildfire smoke composition is complex and dynamic, making characterization and modeling difficult. Furthermore, current efforts to study the effect of wildfire smoke are limited by availability of air quality measures and inconsistent air quality reporting among researchers. To help address these issues, we conducted a substantive review of wildfire smoke effects on population health, wildfire smoke exposure in occupational health, and experimental wood smoke exposure. Our goal was to evaluate the current literature on wildfire smoke and highlight important gaps in research. In particular we emphasize long-term health effects of wildfire smoke, recovery following wildfire smoke exposure, and health consequences of exposure in children. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Connections Matter: Social Networks and Lifespan Health in Primate Translational Models

PubMed Central

McCowan, Brenda; Beisner, Brianne; Bliss-Moreau, Eliza; Vandeleest, Jessica; Jin, Jian; Hannibal, Darcy; Hsieh, Fushing

2016-01-01

Humans live in societies full of rich and complex relationships that influence health. The ability to improve human health requires a detailed understanding of the complex interplay of biological systems that contribute to disease processes, including the mechanisms underlying the influence of social contexts on these biological systems. A longitudinal computational systems science approach provides methods uniquely suited to elucidate the mechanisms by which social systems influence health and well-being by investigating how they modulate the interplay among biological systems across the lifespan. In the present report, we argue that nonhuman primate social systems are sufficiently complex to serve as model systems allowing for the development and refinement of both analytical and theoretical frameworks linking social life to health. Ultimately, developing systems science frameworks in nonhuman primate models will speed discovery of the mechanisms that subserve the relationship between social life and human health. PMID:27148103

Experience and lessons from health impact assessment for human rights impact assessment.

PubMed

Salcito, Kendyl; Utzinger, Jürg; Krieger, Gary R; Wielga, Mark; Singer, Burton H; Winkler, Mirko S; Weiss, Mitchell G

2015-09-16

As globalisation has opened remote parts of the world to foreign investment, global leaders at the United Nations and beyond have called on multinational companies to foresee and mitigate negative impacts on the communities surrounding their overseas operations. This movement towards corporate impact assessment began with a push for environmental and social inquiries. It has been followed by demands for more detailed assessments, including health and human rights. In the policy world the two have been joined as a right-to-health impact assessment. In the corporate world, the right-to-health approach fulfils neither managers' need to comprehensively understand impacts of a project, nor rightsholders' need to know that the full suite of their human rights will be safe from violation. Despite the limitations of a right-to-health tool for companies, integration of health into human rights provides numerous potential benefits to companies and the communities they affect. Here, a detailed health analysis through the human rights lens is carried out, drawing on a case study from the United Republic of Tanzania. This paper examines the positive and negative health and human rights impacts of a corporate operation in a low-income setting, as viewed through the human rights lens, considering observations on the added value of the approach. It explores the relationship between health impact assessment (HIA) and human rights impact assessment (HRIA). First, it considers the ways in which HIA, as a study directly concerned with human welfare, is a more appropriate guide than environmental or social impact assessment for evaluating human rights impacts. Second, it considers the contributions HRIA can make to HIA, by viewing determinants of health not as direct versus indirect, but as interrelated.

Impact of Incremental Sampling Methodology (ISM) on Metals Bioavailability

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-01

vent that resembles gastrointestinal fluids. This technique mimics diges- tion in the human gut, resulting in a means to understand the human health...25 4 Results ...62 Report Documentation Page ERDC TR-16-4 v Illustrations Figures 1 Comparison of prior digestion results for

Differential Decay of Bacterial and Viral Fecal Indicators in Common Human Pollution Sources

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding the decomposition of different human fecal pollution sources is necessary for proper implementation of many water quality management practices, as well as predicting associated public health risks. Here, the decay of select cultivated and molecular indicators of fe...

Modern advances in sustainable tick control

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Ticks are the vector of the many different organisms responsible for both animal and human diseases. Understanding the progress we have made and new directions in tick control is critical to the sustainability of human and animal health. The integration of vaccines, acaricides, and new acaricide ap...

Metabolic Biosynthesis of Potato (Solanum tuberosum l.) Antioxidants and Implications for Human Health.

PubMed

Lovat, Christie; Nassar, Atef M K; Kubow, Stan; Li, Xiu-Qing; Donnelly, Danielle J

2016-10-25

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is common, affordable, readily stored, easily prepared for consumption, and nutritious. For these reasons, potato has become one of the top five crops consumed worldwide. Consequently, it is important to understand its contribution to both our daily and long-term health. Potato is one of the most important sources of antioxidants in the human diet. As such, it supports the antioxidant defense network in our bodies that reduces cellular and tissue toxicities that result from free radical-induced protein, lipid, carbohydrate, and DNA damage. In this way, potato antioxidants may reduce the risk for cancers, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and even radiation damage. A better understanding of these components of potato is needed by the food industry, health professionals, and consumers. This review provides referenced summaries of all of the antioxidant groups present in potato tubers and updated schematics including genetic regulation for the major antioxidant biosynthesis pathways. This review complements current knowledge on the role of potato in human health. We hope it will provide impetus toward breeding efforts to develop cultivars with increased antioxidant capacity as 'functional foods' and encourage potato consumers and processors to work toward preservation of antioxidant capacity in cooked potato and potato products.

Doctors Without Borders.

PubMed

Wass, Val; Southgate, Lesley

2017-04-01

The unprecedented demands of patient and population priorities created by globalization and escalating health and social inequities will not be met unless medical education changes. Educators have failed to move fast enough to create an education framework that meets current population needs. A new common set of professional values around global social accountability is necessary. Education borders must be broken down at three levels-societal-institutional, interpersonal, and individual.At a societal-institutional level, global health must be embraced as part of a philosophy of population needs, human rights, equity, and justice. A move from informative acquisition of knowledge and skills to formative learning where students socialize around values, develop leadership attributes, and become agents for change is needed. At an interpersonal level, radical changes in curriculum delivery, which move away from the well-defined borders of specialty rotations, are required. Students must develop an integrated understanding of the future of health care and the patient's journey through health care delivery, within the context of population needs. At an individual level, doctors need to understand the boundaries of the professional values they hold within themselves and develop a deeper understanding of their own internal prejudices and conflicts. Opening the borders between the sciences and humanities is essential. Fostering and mentoring that emphasize that resilience, leadership, flexibility, and the ability to cope with uncertainty are needed to tackle the complexities of current, as well as future, health care. Doctors need to understand the restraints within themselves to work effectively without borders.

76 FR 76168 - Regulatory Site Visit Training Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0824... routine manufacturing practices and to give CBER staff a better understanding of the biologics industry... quality of its regulatory efforts and interactions, by providing CBER staff with a better understanding of...

Microbial genome-wide association studies: lessons from human GWAS.

PubMed

Power, Robert A; Parkhill, Julian; de Oliveira, Tulio

2017-01-01

The reduced costs of sequencing have led to whole-genome sequences for a large number of microorganisms, enabling the application of microbial genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Given the successes of human GWAS in understanding disease aetiology and identifying potential drug targets, microbial GWAS are likely to further advance our understanding of infectious diseases. These advances include insights into pressing global health problems, such as antibiotic resistance and disease transmission. In this Review, we outline the methodologies of GWAS, the current state of the field of microbial GWAS, and how lessons from human GWAS can direct the future of the field.

An ecological public health approach to understanding the relationships between sustainable urban environments, public health and social equity.

PubMed

Bentley, Michael

2014-09-01

The environmental determinants of public health and social equity present many challenges to a sustainable urbanism-climate change, water shortages and oil dependency to name a few. There are many pathways from urban environments to human health. Numerous links have been described but some underlying mechanisms behind these relationships are less understood. Combining theory and methods is a way of understanding and explaining how the underlying structures of urban environments relate to public health and social equity. This paper proposes a model for an ecological public health, which can be used to explore these relationships. Four principles of an ecological public health-conviviality, equity, sustainability and global responsibility-are used to derive theoretical concepts that can inform ecological public health thinking, which, among other things, provides a way of exploring the underlying mechanisms that link urban environments to public health and social equity. Theories of more-than-human agency inform ways of living together (conviviality) in urban areas. Political ecology links the equity concerns about environmental and social justice. Resilience thinking offers a better way of coming to grips with sustainability. Integrating ecological ethics into public health considers the global consequences of local urban living and thus attends to global responsibility. This way of looking at the relationships between urban environments, public health and social equity answers the call to craft an ecological public health for the twenty-first century by re-imagining public health in a way that acknowledges humans as part of the ecosystem, not separate from it, though not central to it. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Realising the ICPD 20 years later: shifting the paradigms for research and education.

PubMed

Gruskin, Sofia; Ravindran, T K Sundari

2014-01-01

The extent to which people can enjoy their sexual and reproductive health is invariably intertwined with issues of disadvantage, inequality and human rights. Increased conservatism, lack of political will, outright resistance and the limited incorporation of human rights norms and standards into sexual and reproductive health policies and programmes are central challenges. Building capacity and skills to understand and address the range of issues raised by sexual and reproductive health and rights is of critical importance. Committed to the principles underlying the ICPD agenda and heavily involved in research and education, with a shared desire to bring global attention to the need for gender- and rights-oriented research and training in sexual and reproductive health, a group of us came together to form the Rights-Oriented Research and Education (RORE) Network for Sexual and Reproductive Health at the end of 2012. To generate dialogue, discussion and action, we propose what we mean by a human rights orientation to sexual and reproductive health and what we believe is needed going forward to achieve a human rights orientation to sexual and reproductive health education and research.

Modulators of mercury risk to wildlife and humans in the context of rapid global change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Silbergeld, Ellen K.; Basu, Niladri; Bustamante, Paco; Diaz-Barriga, Fernando; Hopkins, William A.; Kidd, Karen A.; Nyland, Jennifer F.

2018-01-01

Environmental mercury (Hg) contamination is an urgent global health threat. The complexity of Hg in the environment can hinder accurate determination of ecological and human health risks, particularly within the context of the rapid global changes that are altering many ecological processes, socioeconomic patterns, and other factors like infectious disease incidence, which can affect Hg exposures and health outcomes. However, the success of global Hg-reduction efforts depends on accurate assessments of their effectiveness in reducing health risks. In this paper, we examine the role that key extrinsic and intrinsic drivers play on several aspects of Hg risk to humans and organisms in the environment. We do so within three key domains of ecological and human health risk. First, we examine how extrinsic global change drivers influence pathways of Hg bioaccumulation and biomagnification through food webs. Next, we describe how extrinsic socioeconomic drivers at a global scale, and intrinsic individual-level drivers, influence human Hg exposure. Finally, we address how the adverse health effects of Hg in humans and wildlife are modulated by a range of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers within the context of rapid global change. Incorporating components of these three domains into research and monitoring will facilitate a more holistic understanding of how ecological and societal drivers interact to influence Hg health risks.

42 CFR 418.24 - Election of hospice care.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... representative's acknowledgement that he or she has been given a full understanding of the palliative rather than curative nature of hospice care, as it relates to the individual's terminal illness. (3) Acknowledgement...

Construction of an environmental quality index for public health research

EPA Science Inventory

A more comprehensive estimate of environmental quality would improve our understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions and human health. An environmental quality index (EQI) for all counties in the U.S. was developed. The EQI was developed in four parts: doma...

15 CFR 700.18 - Limitations on placing rated orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Memoranda of Understanding to other agencies. Unless otherwise agreed to by the concerned agencies, the... of Energy); (iii) Health resources (Department of Health and Human Services); (iv) All forms of civil... Engineers); and (vi) Communications services (National Communications System under Executive Order 12472 of...

Identification of Surrogate Measures of Diesel Exhaust Exposure in a Controlled Chamber Study

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) has been associated with acute cardiopulmonary and vascular responses, chronic noncancer health effects, and respiratory cancers in humans. To better understand DE exposures and eventually their related health effects, we established a controlled c...

Ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health care.

PubMed

Badzek, Laurie; Henaghan, Mark; Turner, Martha; Monsen, Rita

2013-03-01

The rapid continuous feed of new information from scientific discoveries related to the human genome makes translation and incorporation of information into the clinical setting difficult and creates ethical, legal, and social challenges for providers. This article overviews some of the legal and ethical foundations that guide our response to current complex issues in health care associated with the impact of scientific discoveries related to the human genome. Overlapping ethical, legal, and social implications impact nurses and other healthcare professionals as they seek to identify and translate into practice important information related to new genomic scientific knowledge. Ethical and legal foundations such as professional codes, human dignity, and human rights provide the framework for understanding highly complex genomic issues. Ethical, legal, and social concerns of the health provider in the translation of genomic knowledge into practice including minimizing harms, maximizing benefits, transparency, confidentiality, and informed consent are described. Additionally, nursing professional competencies related to ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomics into health care are discussed. Ethical, legal, and social considerations in new genomic discovery necessitate that healthcare professionals have knowledge and competence to respond to complex genomic issues and provide appropriate information and care to patients, families, and communities. Understanding the ethical, legal, and social issues in the translation of genomic information into practice is essential to provide patients, families, and communities with competent, safe, effective health care. © 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Functional genomics of lactic acid bacteria: from food to health

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Genome analysis using next generation sequencing technologies has revolutionized the characterization of lactic acid bacteria and complete genomes of all major groups are now available. Comparative genomics has provided new insights into the natural and laboratory evolution of lactic acid bacteria and their environmental interactions. Moreover, functional genomics approaches have been used to understand the response of lactic acid bacteria to their environment. The results have been instrumental in understanding the adaptation of lactic acid bacteria in artisanal and industrial food fermentations as well as their interactions with the human host. Collectively, this has led to a detailed analysis of genes involved in colonization, persistence, interaction and signaling towards to the human host and its health. Finally, massive parallel genome re-sequencing has provided new opportunities in applied genomics, specifically in the characterization of novel non-GMO strains that have potential to be used in the food industry. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the art of these functional genomics approaches and their impact in understanding, applying and designing lactic acid bacteria for food and health. PMID:25186768

Functional genomics of lactic acid bacteria: from food to health.

PubMed

Douillard, François P; de Vos, Willem M

2014-08-29

Genome analysis using next generation sequencing technologies has revolutionized the characterization of lactic acid bacteria and complete genomes of all major groups are now available. Comparative genomics has provided new insights into the natural and laboratory evolution of lactic acid bacteria and their environmental interactions. Moreover, functional genomics approaches have been used to understand the response of lactic acid bacteria to their environment. The results have been instrumental in understanding the adaptation of lactic acid bacteria in artisanal and industrial food fermentations as well as their interactions with the human host. Collectively, this has led to a detailed analysis of genes involved in colonization, persistence, interaction and signaling towards to the human host and its health. Finally, massive parallel genome re-sequencing has provided new opportunities in applied genomics, specifically in the characterization of novel non-GMO strains that have potential to be used in the food industry. Here, we provide an overview of the state of the art of these functional genomics approaches and their impact in understanding, applying and designing lactic acid bacteria for food and health.

Human rights and the politics of risk and blame: lessons from the international reproductive health movement.

PubMed

Freedman, L P

1997-01-01

Recent debates about the "politicization" of public health obscure the ways in which epidemiological concepts of risk are routinely used in the legal and political systems to apportion blame and responsibility for poor health. This article uses the example of reproductive health and rights to argue that new understandings of the connection between socioeconomic conditions and poor health will only generate change when they are reframed into political claims and pressed by social movements. In this connection, human rights language, principles, and practice hold great potential for the US reproductive rights movement, which has sometimes been constrained by the narrow scope of court rulings.

Perceived social isolation, evolutionary fitness and health outcomes: a lifespan approach

PubMed Central

Hawkley, Louise C.; Capitanio, John P.

2015-01-01

Sociality permeates each of the fundamental motives of human existence and plays a critical role in evolutionary fitness across the lifespan. Evidence for this thesis draws from research linking deficits in social relationship—as indexed by perceived social isolation (i.e. loneliness)—with adverse health and fitness consequences at each developmental stage of life. Outcomes include depression, poor sleep quality, impaired executive function, accelerated cognitive decline, unfavourable cardiovascular function, impaired immunity, altered hypothalamic pituitary–adrenocortical activity, a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile and earlier mortality. Gaps in this research are summarized with suggestions for future research. In addition, we argue that a better understanding of naturally occurring variation in loneliness, and its physiological and psychological underpinnings, in non-human species may be a valuable direction to better understand the persistence of a ‘lonely’ phenotype in social species, and its consequences for health and fitness. PMID:25870400

An evolving perspective about the origins of childhood undernutrition and nutritional interventions that includes the gut microbiome

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Tahmeed; Auble, David; Berkley, James A; Black, Robert; Ahern, Philip P; Hossain, Muttaquina; Hsieh, Andrea; Ireen, Santhia; Arabi, Mandana; Gordon, Jeffrey I

2014-01-01

The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science and the World Health Organization (WHO) have worked together to formulate a research agenda for nutrition science. Undernutrition of children has profound effects on health, development, and achievement of full human capacity. Undernutrition is not simply caused by a lack of food, but results from a complex interplay of intra- and intergenerational factors. Representative preclinical models and comprehensive well-controlled longitudinal clinical studies are needed to further understand the contributions and the interrelationships among these factors and to develop interventions that are effective and durable. This paper summarizes work on mechanisms underlying the varied manifestations of childhood undernutrition and discusses current gaps in knowledge and challenges to our understanding of undernutrition and infection/immunity throughout the human life cycle, focusing on early childhood growth. It proposes a series of basic and clinical studies to address this global health challenge. PMID:25118072

Linking source characterisation and human health risk assessment of metals to rainfall characteristics.

PubMed

Liu, An; Mummullage, Sandya; Ma, Yukun; Egodawatta, Prasanna; Ayoko, Godwin A; Goonetilleke, Ashantha

2018-07-01

Metals deposited on urban road surfaces and incorporated in stormwater runoff are discharged into receiving waters, influencing their quality and can pose human health risks. Effective design of stormwater treatment measures is closely dependent on the in-depth understanding of stormwater pollutant sources and the associated health risks. The study discussed in this paper has linked the sources of metals in stormwater runoff and the accompanying human health risk to rainfall characteristics. The study outcomes confirmed that the metal contributions to stormwater runoff from the primary sources were in the order of sea salt > soil > traffic. Although traffic contributes a relatively lower percentage to wash-off, the human health risks posed by traffic sourced metals were relatively much higher. This implies that traffic sources should receive particular attention in treating stormwater. These outcomes have the potential to contribute to enhancing effective source control measures in order to safeguard natural waterways from polluted road wash-off. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The past, present, and future of soils and human health studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, E. C.; Sauer, T. J.

2015-01-01

The idea that human health is tied to the soil is not a new one. As far back as circa 1400 BC the Bible depicts Moses as understanding that fertile soil was essential to the well-being of his people. In 400 BC the Greek philosopher Hippocrates provided a list of things that should be considered in a proper medical evaluation, including the properties of the local ground. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, American farmers had recognized that soil properties had some connection to human health. In the modern world, we recognize that soils have a distinct influence on human health. We recognize that soils influence (1) food availability and quality (food security), (2) human contact with various chemicals, and (3) human contact with various pathogens. Soils and human health studies include investigations into nutrient supply through the food chain and routes of exposure to chemicals and pathogens. However, making strong, scientific connections between soils and human health can be difficult. There are multiple variables to consider in the soil environment, meaning traditional scientific studies that seek to isolate and manipulate a single variable often do not provide meaningful data. The complete study of soils and human health also involves many different specialties such as soil scientists, toxicologists, medical professionals, anthropologists, etc. These groups do not traditionally work together on research projects, and do not always effectively communicate with one another. Climate change and how it will affect the soil environment/ecosystem going into the future is another variable affecting the relationship between soils and health. Future successes in soils and human health research will require effectively addressing difficult issues such as these.

The Intestinal Microbiome and Health

PubMed Central

Tuddenham, Susan; Sears, Cynthia L.

2015-01-01

Purpose of Review A diverse array of microbes colonizes the human intestine. In this review we seek to outline the current state of knowledge on what characterizes a “healthy” or “normal” intestinal microbiome, what factors modify the intestinal microbiome in the healthy state and how the intestinal microbiome affects normal host physiology Recent Findings What constitutes a “normal” or “healthy” intestinal microbiome is an area of active research, but key characteristics may include diversity, richness and a microbial community’s resilience and ability to resist change. A number of factors, including age, the host immune system, host genetics, diet and antibiotic use appear to modify the intestinal microbiome in the normal state. New research shows that the microbiome likely plays a critical role in the healthy human immune system and metabolism. Summary It is clear that there is a complicated bi-directional relationship between the intestinal microbiota and host which is vital to health. An enhanced understanding of this relationship will be critical not only to maximize and maintain human health but also to shape our understanding of disease and to foster new therapeutic approaches. PMID:26237547

Human, animal and environmental contributors to antibiotic resistance in low-resource settings: integrating behavioural, epidemiological and One Health approaches

PubMed Central

Unicomb, Leanne; Islam, Mohammad Aminul

2018-01-01

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is recognized as a One Health challenge because of the rapid emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria and genes among humans, animals and the environment on a global scale. However, there is a paucity of research assessing ABR contemporaneously in humans, animals and the environment in low-resource settings. This critical review seeks to identify the extent of One Health research on ABR in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Existing research has highlighted hotspots for environmental contamination; food-animal production systems that are likely to harbour reservoirs or promote transmission of ABR as well as high and increasing human rates of colonization with ABR commensal bacteria such as Escherichia coli. However, very few studies have integrated all three components of the One Health spectrum to understand the dynamics of transmission and the prevalence of community-acquired resistance in humans and animals. Microbiological, epidemiological and social science research is needed at community and population levels across the One Health spectrum in order to fill the large gaps in knowledge of ABR in low-resource settings. PMID:29643217

A life course perspective on polycystic ovary syndrome

PubMed Central

Sanchez, Ninive

2014-01-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a major public health problem in the US. Worldwide, the public is largely unaware of the condition and health care providers do not seem to fully understand it. Research on PCOS has primarily focused on its etiology and clinical characteristics and less on the psychosocial aspects of human development associated with PCOS. This paper posits that a life course perspective provides a framework for further understanding the psychosocial experiences of women with PCOS and the contexts in which they live. The paper discusses how life course principles of human development, constraints on agency, interdependence of lives, time and place, and timing of events and experiences are relevant to the management of PCOS and prevention of its complications. PMID:24489477

[Coalition for Asian American Children and Families Fact Sheets: A Series To Promote Better Understanding of the Health and Human Services Needs of Asian American Children and Youth in New York City.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, New York, NY.

This series of four fact sheets addresses the health and human service needs of Asian American children living in New York City. The first fact sheet, "Snapshots of New York City: An Overview of Asian American Families," discusses the diversity of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) population in New York, examining AAPI…

Top 10 Research Questions Related to Body Composition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Going, Scott; Lee, Vinson; Blew, Rob; Laddu, Deepika; Hetherington-Rauth, Megan

2014-01-01

An understanding of body composition is crucial to understanding human health, disease, and function. Research in body composition has focused on the development of assessment methods, description of normal changes in body composition with growth and development and aging, and the changes that occur in body composition in response to challenges…

Message framing in the context of the national menu-labelling policy: a comparison of public health and private industry interests.

PubMed

Shelton, Rachel C; Colgrove, James; Lee, Grace; Truong, Michelle; Wingood, Gina M

2017-04-01

We conducted a content analysis of public comments to understand the key framing approaches used by private industry v. public health sector, with the goal of informing future public health messaging, framing and advocacy in the context of policy making. Comments to the proposed menu-labelling policy were extracted from Regulations.gov and analysed. A framing matrix was used to organize and code key devices and themes. Documents were analysed using content analysis with Dedoose software. Recent national nutrition-labelling regulations in the USA provide a timely opportunity to understand message framing in relation to obesity prevention and policy. We examined a total of ninety-seven documents submitted on behalf of organizations (private industry, n 64; public health, n 33). Public health focused on positive health consequences of the policy, used a social justice frame and supported its arguments with academic data. Industry was more critical of the policy; it used a market justice frame that emphasized minimal regulation, depicted its members as small, family-run businesses, and illustrated points with humanizing examples. Public health framing should counter and consider engaging directly with non-health-related arguments made by industry. Public health should include more powerful framing devices to convey their messages, including metaphors and humanizing examples.

International Voluntary Health Networks (IVHNs). A social-geographical framework.

PubMed

Reid, Benet; Laurie, Nina; Smith, Matt Baillie

2018-03-01

Trans-national medicine, historically associated with colonial politics, is now central to discourses of global health and development, thrust into mainstream media by catastrophic events (earthquakes, disease epidemics), and enshrined in the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Volunteer human-resource is an important contributor to international health-development work. International Voluntary Health Networks (IVHNs, that connect richer and poorer countries through healthcare) are situated at a meeting-point between geographies and sociologies of health. More fully developed social-geographic understandings will illuminate this area, currently dominated by instrumental health-professional perspectives. The challenge we address is to produce a geographically and sociologically-robust conceptual framework that appropriately recognises IVHNs' potentials for valuable impacts, while also unlocking spaces of constructive critique. We examine the importance of the social in health geography, and geographical potentials in health sociology (focusing on professional knowledge construction, inequality and capital, and power), to highlight the mutual interests of these two fields in relation to IVHNs. We propose some socio-geographical theories of IVHNs that do not naturalise inequality, that understand health as a form of capital, prioritise explorations of power and ethical practice, and acknowledge the more-than-human properties of place. This sets an agenda for theoretically-supported empirical work on IVHNs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The microbiome of the built environment and mental health.

PubMed

Hoisington, Andrew J; Brenner, Lisa A; Kinney, Kerry A; Postolache, Teodor T; Lowry, Christopher A

2015-12-17

The microbiome of the built environment (MoBE) is a relatively new area of study. While some knowledge has been gained regarding impacts of the MoBE on the human microbiome and disease vulnerability, there is little knowledge of the impacts of the MoBE on mental health. Depending on the specific microbial species involved, the transfer of microorganisms from the built environment to occupant's cutaneous or mucosal membranes has the potential to increase or disrupt immunoregulation and/or exaggerate or suppress inflammation. Preclinical evidence highlighting the influence of the microbiota on systemic inflammation supports the assertion that microorganisms, including those originating from the built environment, have the potential to either increase or decrease the risk of inflammation-induced psychiatric conditions and their symptom severity. With advanced understanding of both the ecology of the built environment, and its influence on the human microbiome, it may be possible to develop bioinformed strategies for management of the built environment to promote mental health. Here we present a brief summary of microbiome research in both areas and highlight two interdependencies including the following: (1) effects of the MoBE on the human microbiome and (2) potential opportunities for manipulation of the MoBE in order to improve mental health. In addition, we propose future research directions including strategies for assessment of changes in the microbiome of common areas of built environments shared by multiple human occupants, and associated cohort-level changes in the mental health of those who spend time in the buildings. Overall, our understanding of the fields of both the MoBE and influence of host-associated microorganisms on mental health are advancing at a rapid pace and, if linked, could offer considerable benefit to health and wellness.

Understanding the mercury reduction issue: the impact of mercury on the environment and human health.

PubMed

Kao, Richard T; Dault, Scott; Pichay, Teresa

2004-07-01

Mercury has been used in both medicine and dentistry for centuries. Recent media attention regarding the increased levels of mercury in dietary fish, high levels of mercury in air emissions, and conjecture that certain diseases may be caused by mercury exposure has increased public awareness of the potential adverse health effects of high doses of mercury. Dentistry has been criticized for its continued use of mercury in dental amalgam for both public health and environmental reasons. To address these concerns, dental professionals should understand the impact of the various levels and types of mercury on the environment and human health. Mercury is unique in its ability to form amalgams with other metals. Dental amalgam--consisting of silver, copper, tin, and mercury--has been used as a safe, stable, and cost-effective restorative material for more than 150 years. As a result of this use, the dental profession has been confronted by the public on two separate health issues concerning the mercury content in amalgam. The first issue is whether the mercury amalgamated with the various metals to create dental restorations poses a health issue for patients. The second is whether the scraps associated with amalgam placement and the removal of amalgam restorations poses environmental hazards which may eventually have an impact on human health. Despite the lack of scientific evidence for such hazards, there is growing pressure for the dental profession to address these health issues. In this article, the toxicology of mercury will be reviewed and the impact of amalgam on health and the environment will be examined.

Summary Information on Employment, Characteristics, Supply, and Training

DTIC Science & Technology

1967-05-01

pharmacists, and members of other scientific professions concerned with the understanding of human diseases and improve- ment of human health... humanities and other specialties Specialties List for use with National Register of Scientific and Technical Personnel ATMOSPHERIC, LITHOSPHERIC, AND...relationships 3016—Turbulence and diffusion 3009—Other (specify) Climatology 3101— Bioclimatology 3102— Microcli ms.tology 3103—Paleoclimatology 3104

Metro nature, environmental health, and economic value.

PubMed

Wolf, Kathleen L; Robbins, Alicia S T

2015-05-01

Nearly 40 years of research provides an extensive body of evidence about human health, well-being, and improved function benefits associated with experiences of nearby nature in cities. We demonstrate the numerous opportunities for future research efforts that link metro nature, human health and well-being outcomes, and economic values. We reviewed the literature on urban nature-based health and well-being benefits. In this review, we provide a classification schematic and propose potential economic values associated with metro nature services. Economic valuation of benefits derived from urban green systems has largely been undertaken in the fields of environmental and natural resource economics, but studies have not typically addressed health outcomes. Urban trees, parks, gardens, open spaces, and other nearby nature elements-collectively termed metro nature-generate many positive externalities that have been largely overlooked in urban economics and policy. Here, we present a range of health benefits, including benefit context and beneficiaries. Although the understanding of these benefits is not yet consistently expressed, and although it is likely that attempts to link urban ecosystem services and economic values will not include all expressions of cultural or social value, the development of new interdisciplinary approaches that integrate environmental health and economic disciplines are greatly needed. Metro nature provides diverse and substantial benefits to human populations in cities. In this review, we begin to address the need for development of valuation methodologies and new approaches to understanding the potential economic outcomes of these benefits.

Chapter 4: Assessing the Air Pollution, Greenhouse Gas, Air Quality, and Health Benefits of Clean Energy Initiatives

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Chapter 4 of Assessing the Multiple Benefits of Clean Energy helps state states understand the methods, models, opportunities, and issues associated with assessing the GHG, air pollution, air quality, and human health benefits of clean energy options.

Telemedicine and its potential impacts on reducing inequalities in access to health manpower.

PubMed

Nouhi, Mojtaba; Fayaz-Bakhsh, Ahmad; Mohamadi, Efat; Shafii, Milad

2012-10-01

Human resources for health have many diverse aspects that sometimes bring about conflicts in the healthcare market. In recent decades issues such as attrition, migration, and different types of imbalances in health workers were not only considered as international problems, but also took on new particular dimensions and complications. Rapid growth in establishing infrastructure of communications and many diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS and malaria, as well as shortages in skilled healthcare providers in developing countries, interested many health economists and health professionals to consider telemedicine as an approach to deliver some healthcare and to pursue its effects on human resources management in healthcare. The objective of this communication is to offer a better understanding of the value of telemedicine in human resources management in healthcare. This article briefly reviews related literature on potential contributions of telemedicine in mitigating four different types of imbalances in health workers and points out some of its capabilities. Although there is a great need for systematic, scientific, and analytical studies in effects of telemedicine on health workers, expansion of communication infrastructure throughout and especially in remote areas, political commitment, and provision of useful information and education to reduce problems of human resources for health are beneficial.

Biodiversity and Functional Genomics in the Human Microbiome

PubMed Central

Morgan, Xochitl C.; Segata, Nicola; Huttenhower, Curtis

2012-01-01

Over the course of our lives, humans are colonized by a tremendous diversity of commensal microbes, which comprise the human microbiome. The collective genetic potential (metagenome) of the human microbiome is orders of magnitude more than the human genome, and it profoundly affects human health and disease in ways we are only beginning to understand. Advances in computing and high-throughput sequencing have enabled population-level surveys such as MetaHIT and the recently-released Human Microbiome Project, detailed investigations of the microbiome in human disease, and mechanistic studies employing gnotobiotic model organisms. The resulting knowledge of human microbiome composition, function, and range of variation across multiple body sites has begun to assemble a rich picture of commensal host-microbe and microbe- microbe interactions as well as their roles in human health and disease and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic tools. PMID:23140990

From genomes to societies: a holistic view of determinants of human health.

PubMed

Shi, Yuyan; Zhong, Sheng

2014-08-01

Both biological and social sciences have identified contributing factors to human health. However, health outcomes are unlikely to equal a simple sum of these identified factors. This article makes an attempt to put together the information, methods, and technologies that relate to health outcomes from biological, behavioral, and social disciplines. Much of this information was obtained by controlling for the variations of the factors in 'other' disciplines. For example, genetic factors were controlled for in identifying the behavioral determinants of health. Looking forward, better understandings of health outcomes may require exploiting the interactions of health determinants that were identified from different disciplines. We propose the concept of 'systems health' studies, which take health outcomes as the outputs of a system, where the inputs and their interactions from multiple disciplines are considered. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational Metabolomics: A Framework for the Million Metabolome

PubMed Central

Uppal, Karan; Walker, Douglas I.; Liu, Ken; Li, Shuzhao; Go, Young-Mi; Jones, Dean P.

2017-01-01

“Sola dosis facit venenum.” These words of Paracelsus, “the dose makes the poison”, can lead to a cavalier attitude concerning potential toxicities of the vast array of low abundance environmental chemicals to which humans are exposed. Exposome research teaches that 80–85% of human disease is linked to environmental exposures. The human exposome is estimated to include >400,000 environmental chemicals, most of which are uncharacterized with regard to human health. In fact, mass spectrometry measures >200,000 m/z features (ions) in microliter volumes derived from human samples; most are unidentified. This crystallizes a grand challenge for chemical research in toxicology: to develop reliable and affordable analytical methods to understand health impacts of the extensive human chemical experience. To this end, there appears to be no choice but to abandon the limitations of measuring one chemical at a time. The present review looks at progress in computational metabolomics to provide probability based annotation linking ions to known chemicals and serve as a foundation for unambiguous designation of unidentified ions for toxicologic study. We review methods to characterize ions in terms of accurate mass m/z, chromatographic retention time, correlation of adduct, isotopic and fragment forms, association with metabolic pathways and measurement of collision-induced dissociation products, collision cross section, and chirality. Such information can support a largely unambiguous system for documenting unidentified ions in environmental surveillance and human biomonitoring. Assembly of this data would provide a resource to characterize and understand health risks of the array of low-abundance chemicals to which humans are exposed. PMID:27629808

75 FR 66381 - Pediatric Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0553... meeting. Agenda: The Pediatric Advisory Committee (PAC) will meet to discuss donor and banked human milk... with a better understanding of current practices, and potential benefits and risks associated with the...

Suspect Screening and Non-Targeted Analysis of Drinking Water Using Point-Of-Use Filters

EPA Science Inventory

Monitored contaminants in drinking water represent a small portion of the total compounds present, many of which may be relevant to human health. To understand the totality of human exposure to compounds in drinking water, broader monitoring methods are imperative. In an effort t...

Growing Physical, Social and Cognitive Capacity: Engaging with Natural Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Paul

2007-01-01

Physical environments are a major contributor to human health, cognitive development, and social wellbeing but, until recently, these roles have largely been ignored. Historically the nature-nurture dichotomy divided understandings of human growth, learning and behaviour but the recent epigenetic research and the emergence of gene-environment…

The Role of Higher Education in Equitable Human Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peercy, Chavanne; Svenson, Nanette

2016-01-01

As developing countries continue to battle poverty despite strong economic growth, understanding the relationship between equity and human development becomes increasingly important. In this context, equity is not equivalent to equality for any specific outcome such as health status, education or income. It is an objective ideal whereby people's…

One Health proof of concept: Bringing a transdisciplinary approach to surveillance for zoonotic viruses at the human-wild animal interface.

PubMed

Kelly, Terra R; Karesh, William B; Johnson, Christine Kreuder; Gilardi, Kirsten V K; Anthony, Simon J; Goldstein, Tracey; Olson, Sarah H; Machalaba, Catherine; Mazet, Jonna A K

2017-02-01

As the world continues to react and respond inefficiently to emerging infectious diseases, such as Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome and the Ebola and Zika viruses, a growing transdisciplinary community has called for a more proactive and holistic approach to prevention and preparedness - One Health. Such an approach presents important opportunities to reduce the impact of disease emergence events and also to mitigate future emergence through improved cross-sectoral coordination. In an attempt to provide proof of concept of the utility of the One Health approach, the US Agency for International Development's PREDICT project consortium designed and implemented a targeted, risk-based surveillance strategy based not on humans as sentinels of disease but on detecting viruses early, at their source, where intervention strategies can be implemented before there is opportunity for spillover and spread in people or food animals. Here, we share One Health approaches used by consortium members to illustrate the potential for successful One Health outcomes that can be achieved through collaborative, transdisciplinary partnerships. PREDICT's collaboration with partners around the world on strengthening local capacity to detect hundreds of viruses in wild animals, coupled with a series of cutting-edge virological and analytical activities, have significantly improved our baseline knowledge on the zoonotic pool of viruses and the risk of exposure to people. Further testament to the success of the project's One Health approach and the work of its team of dedicated One Health professionals are the resulting 90 peer-reviewed, scientific publications in under 5 years that improve our understanding of zoonoses and the factors influencing their emergence. The findings are assisting in global health improvements, including surveillance science, diagnostic technologies, understanding of viral evolution, and ecological driver identification. Through its One Health leadership and multi-disciplinary partnerships, PREDICT has forged new networks of professionals from the human, animal, and environmental health sectors to promote global health, improving our understanding of viral disease spillover from wildlife and implementing strategies for preventing and controlling emerging disease threats. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Linking dietary patterns with gut microbial composition and function

PubMed Central

Sheflin, Amy M.; Carbonero, Franck; Weir, Tiffany L.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Emerging insights have implicated the gut microbiota as an important factor in the maintenance of human health. Although nutrition research has focused on how direct interactions between dietary components and host systems influence human health, it is becoming increasingly important to consider nutrient effects on the gut microbiome for a more complete picture. Understanding nutrient-host-microbiome interactions promises to reveal novel mechanisms of disease etiology and progression, offers new disease prevention strategies and therapeutic possibilities, and may mandate alternative criteria to evaluate the safety of food ingredients. Here we review the current literature on diet effects on the microbiome and the generation of microbial metabolites of dietary constituents that may influence human health. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of these studies to nutrition and public health and summarize further research needs required to realize the potential of exploiting diet-microbiota interactions for improved health. PMID:27960648

Rising CO2, Climate Change, and Public Health: Exploring the Links to Plant Biology

PubMed Central

Ziska, Lewis H.; Epstein, Paul R.; Schlesinger, William H.

2009-01-01

Background Although the issue of anthropogenic climate forcing and public health is widely recognized, one fundamental aspect has remained underappreciated: the impact of climatic change on plant biology and the well-being of human systems. Objectives We aimed to critically evaluate the extant and probable links between plant function and human health, drawing on the pertinent literature. Discussion Here we provide a number of critical examples that range over various health concerns related to plant biology and climate change, including aerobiology, contact dermatitis, pharmacology, toxicology, and pesticide use. Conclusions There are a number of clear links among climate change, plant biology, and public health that remain underappreciated by both plant scientists and health care providers. We demonstrate the importance of such links in our understanding of climate change impacts and provide a list of key questions that will help to integrate plant biology into the current paradigm regarding climate change and human health. PMID:19270781

Human-centred design in global health: A scoping review of applications and contexts.

PubMed

Bazzano, Alessandra N; Martin, Jane; Hicks, Elaine; Faughnan, Maille; Murphy, Laura

2017-01-01

Health and wellbeing are determined by a number of complex, interrelated factors. The application of design thinking to questions around health may prove valuable and complement existing approaches. A number of public health projects utilizing human centered design (HCD), or design thinking, have recently emerged, but no synthesis of the literature around these exists. The results of a scoping review of current research on human centered design for health outcomes are presented. The review aimed to understand why and how HCD can be valuable in the contexts of health related research. Results identified pertinent literature as well as gaps in information on the use of HCD for public health research, design, implementation and evaluation. A variety of contexts were identified in which design has been used for health. Global health and design thinking have different underlying conceptual models and terminology, creating some inherent tensions, which could be overcome through clear communication and documentation in collaborative projects. The review concludes with lessons learned from the review on how future projects can better integrate design thinking with global health research.

Human-centred design in global health: A scoping review of applications and contexts

PubMed Central

Martin, Jane; Hicks, Elaine; Faughnan, Maille; Murphy, Laura

2017-01-01

Health and wellbeing are determined by a number of complex, interrelated factors. The application of design thinking to questions around health may prove valuable and complement existing approaches. A number of public health projects utilizing human centered design (HCD), or design thinking, have recently emerged, but no synthesis of the literature around these exists. The results of a scoping review of current research on human centered design for health outcomes are presented. The review aimed to understand why and how HCD can be valuable in the contexts of health related research. Results identified pertinent literature as well as gaps in information on the use of HCD for public health research, design, implementation and evaluation. A variety of contexts were identified in which design has been used for health. Global health and design thinking have different underlying conceptual models and terminology, creating some inherent tensions, which could be overcome through clear communication and documentation in collaborative projects. The review concludes with lessons learned from the review on how future projects can better integrate design thinking with global health research. PMID:29091935

The human gut microbiome: current knowledge, challenges, and future directions.

PubMed

Dave, Maneesh; Higgins, Peter D; Middha, Sumit; Rioux, Kevin P

2012-10-01

The Human Genome Project was completed a decade ago, leaving a legacy of process, tools, and infrastructure now being turned to the study of the microbes that reside in and on the human body as determinants of health and disease, and has been branded "The Human Microbiome Project." Of the various niches under investigation, the human gut houses the most complex and abundant microbial community and is an arena for important host-microbial interactions that have both local and systemic impact. Initial studies of the human microbiome have been largely descriptive, a testing ground for innovative molecular techniques and new hypotheses. Methods for studying the microbiome have quickly evolved from low-resolution surveys of microbial community structure to high-definition description of composition, function, and ecology. Next-generation sequencing technologies combined with advanced bioinformatics place us at the doorstep of revolutionary insight into the composition, capability, and activity of the human intestinal microbiome. Renewed efforts to cultivate previously "uncultivable" microbes will be important to the overall understanding of gut ecology. There remain numerous methodological challenges to the effective study and understanding of the gut microbiome, largely relating to study design, sample collection, and the number of predictor variables. Strategic collaboration of clinicians, microbiologists, molecular biologists, computational scientists, and bioinformaticians is the ideal paradigm for success in this field. Meaningful interpretation of the gut microbiome requires that host genetic and environmental influences be controlled or accounted for. Understanding the gut microbiome in healthy humans is a foundation for discovering its influence in various important gastrointestinal and nutritional diseases (eg, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, and obesity), and for rational translation to human health gains. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Humans on the International Space Station-How Research, Operations, and International Collaboration are Leading to New Understanding of Human Physiology and Performance in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronbinson, Julie A.; Harm, Deborah L.

2009-01-01

As the International Space Station (ISS) nears completion, and full international utilization is achieved, we are at a scientific crossroads. ISS is the premier location for research aimed at understanding the effects of microgravity on the human body. For applications to future human exploration, it is key for validation, quantification, and mitigation of a wide variety of spaceflight risks to health and human performance. Understanding and mitigating these risks is the focus of NASA s Human Research Program. However, NASA s approach to defining human research objectives is only one of many approaches within the ISS international partnership (including Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Each of these agencies selects and implements their own ISS research, with independent but related objectives for human and life sciences research. Because the science itself is also international and collaborative, investigations that are led by one ISS partner also often include cooperative scientists from around the world. The operation of the ISS generates significant additional data that is not directly linked to specific investigations. Such data comes from medical monitoring of crew members, life support and radiation monitoring, and from the systems that have been implemented to protect the health of the crew (such as exercise hardware). We provide examples of these international synergies in human research on ISS and highlight key early accomplishments that derive from these broad interfaces. Taken as a whole, the combination of diverse research objectives, operational data, international sharing of research resources on ISS, and scientific collaboration provide a robust research approach and capability that no one partner could achieve alone.

Seeking Humanizing Care in Patient-Centered Care Process: A Grounded Theory Study.

PubMed

Cheraghi, Mohammad Ali; Esmaeili, Maryam; Salsali, Mahvash

Patient-centered care is both a goal in itself and a tool for enhancing health outcomes. The application of patient-centered care in health care services globally however is diverse. This article reports on a study that sought to introduce patient-centered care. The aim of this study is to explore the process of providing patient-centered care in critical care units. The study used a grounded theory method. Data were collected on 5 critical care units in Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Purposive and theoretical sampling directed the collection of data using 29 semistructured interviews with 27 participants (nurses, patients, and physician). Data obtained were analyzed according to the analysis stages of grounded theory and constant comparison to identify the concepts, context, and process of the study. The core category of this grounded theory is "humanizing care," which consisted of 4 interrelated phases, including patient acceptance, purposeful patient assessment and identification, understanding patients, and patient empowerment. A core category of humanizing care integrated the theory. Humanizing care was an outcome and process. Patient-centered care is a dynamic and multifaceted process provided according to the nurses' understanding of the concept. Patient-centered care does not involve repeating routine tasks; rather, it requires an all-embracing understanding of the patients and showing respect for their values, needs, and preferences.

Research on Endocrine Disruptors

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA researchers are developing innovative approaches, tools, models and data to improve the understanding of potential risks to human health and wildlife from chemicals that could disrupt the endocrine system.

Epidemiological review of human and animal fascioliasis in Egypt.

PubMed

Soliman, Maha F M

2008-06-01

One of the neglected food-borne-diseases in the international public health arena is fascioliasis. It is a serious infectious parasitic disease infecting humans and animals worldwide and tops all the zoonotic helminthes. Human cases are being increasingly reported from Europe, the Americas, Oceania, Africa and Asia. Hence, human fascioliasis is considered now as a zoonosis of major global and regional importance. In Egypt, animal and human fascioliasis is an endemic clinical and epidemiological health problem. Doubtless, understanding the epidemiology of the parasitic diseases and factors affecting their incidence provides the foundation upon which effective prevention and control programs should be established. This article reviews the history, life cycles, transmission, incidence, geographical distribution, and environmental and human determinants that contribute to the epidemiological picture of fascioliasis with special reference to Egypt.

One Health: From theory to practice

PubMed Central

Little, Adam

2012-01-01

One Health approaches to human and veterinary medicine are critical to professionals addressing global issues of food security and disease prevention. However, we have yet to develop a sufficient strategy to translate our theoretical understanding to practical application. This paper will explore the current shortcomings of One Health, within both the medical and veterinary communities, and highlight solutions to overcome these challenges. PMID:23024395

Understanding Urban Green Space as a Health Resource: A Qualitative Comparison of Visit Motivation and Derived Effects among Park Users in Sheffield, UK

PubMed Central

Irvine, Katherine N.; Warber, Sara L.; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Gaston, Kevin J.

2013-01-01

With increasing interest in the use of urban green space to promote human health, there is a need to understand the extent to which park users conceptualize these places as a resource for health and well-being. This study sought to examine park users’ own reasons for and benefits from green space usage and compare these with concepts and constructs in existing person-environment-health theories and models of health. Conducted in 13 public green spaces in Sheffield, UK, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 312 park users’ responses to open-ended interview questions and identified a breadth, depth and salience of visit motivators and derived effects. Findings highlight a discrepancy between reasons for visiting and derived effects from the use of urban green space. Motivations emphasized walking, green space qualities, and children. Derived effects highlighted relaxation, positive emotions within the self and towards the place, and spiritual well-being. We generate a taxonomy of motivations and derived effects that could facilitate operationalization within empirical research and articulate a conceptual framework linking motivators to outcomes for investigating green space as a resource for human health and well-being. PMID:23340602

Understanding urban green space as a health resource: a qualitative comparison of visit motivation and derived effects among park users in Sheffield, UK.

PubMed

Irvine, Katherine N; Warber, Sara L; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Gaston, Kevin J

2013-01-22

With increasing interest in the use of urban green space to promote human health, there is a need to understand the extent to which park users conceptualize these places as a resource for health and well-being. This study sought to examine park users' own reasons for and benefits from green space usage and compare these with concepts and constructs in existing person-environment-health theories and models of health. Conducted in 13 public green spaces in Sheffield, UK, we undertook a qualitative content analysis of 312 park users' responses to open-ended interview questions and identified a breadth, depth and salience of visit motivators and derived effects. Findings highlight a discrepancy between reasons for visiting and derived effects from the use of urban green space. Motivations emphasized walking, green space qualities, and children. Derived effects highlighted relaxation, positive emotions within the self and towards the place, and spiritual well-being. We generate a taxonomy of motivations and derived effects that could facilitate operationalization within empirical research and articulate a conceptual framework linking motivators to outcomes for investigating green space as a resource for human health and well-being.

Systems thinking for understanding and predicting regional and local climate change effects on human health & well being: workshop process

EPA Science Inventory

EPA’s Systems Thinking Advisory Team (STAT) was engaged to guide a multi-disciplinary (health officials, modelers, climate change scientists, city planners, ecologists, and architects), multi-agency (EPA, CDC, State and Country officials) team in the use systems thinking, diagram...

The Chemistry of Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of General Medical Sciences (NIH), Bethesda, MD.

This booklet, geared toward an advanced high school or early college-level audience, describes how basic chemistry and biochemistry research can spur a better understanding of human health. It reveals how networks of chemical reactions keep our bodies running smoothly. Some of the tools and technologies used to explore these reactions are…

Ozone-induced changes in oxidative stress parameters in brains of adult, middle-age, and senescent Brown Norway rats

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding life-stage susceptibility is a critical part of community based human health risk assessment following chemical exposure. Recently there is growing concern over a common air pollutant, ozone (03), and adverse health effects including dysfunction of the pulmonary, ca...

"Workhood"-a useful concept for the analysis of health workers' resources? an evaluation from Tanzania

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background International debates on improving health system performance and quality of care are strongly coined by systems thinking. There is a surprising lack of attention to the human (worker) elements. Although the central role of health workers within the health system has increasingly been acknowledged, there are hardly studies that analyze performance and quality of care from an individual perspective. Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers' capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. Methods Case studies were conducted in four Reproductive-and-Child-Health (RCH) clinics in the Kilombero Valley, south-eastern Tanzania, using different qualitative methods such as participant observation, informal discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the relevance of the different types of workhood resources for effective health service delivery. Health workers' ability to access these resources were investigated and factors facilitating or constraining access identified. Results The study showed that lack of physical, human, cultural and financial capital constrained health workers' capacity to act. In particular, weak health infrastructure and health system failures led to the lack of sufficient drug and supply stocks and chronic staff shortages at the health facilities. However, health workers' capacity to mobilize social, cultural and symbolic capital played a significant role in their ability to overcome work related problems. Professional and non-professional social relationships were activated in order to access drug stocks and other supplies, transport and knowledge. Conclusions By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance by looking at their resources and capacities. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers' capacities and identifies entry points for target actions. PMID:22401037

"Workhood"-a useful concept for the analysis of health workers' resources? An evaluation from Tanzania.

PubMed

Gross, Karin; Pfeiffer, Constanze; Obrist, Brigit

2012-03-08

International debates on improving health system performance and quality of care are strongly coined by systems thinking. There is a surprising lack of attention to the human (worker) elements. Although the central role of health workers within the health system has increasingly been acknowledged, there are hardly studies that analyze performance and quality of care from an individual perspective. Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers' capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. Case studies were conducted in four Reproductive-and-Child-Health (RCH) clinics in the Kilombero Valley, south-eastern Tanzania, using different qualitative methods such as participant observation, informal discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the relevance of the different types of workhood resources for effective health service delivery. Health workers' ability to access these resources were investigated and factors facilitating or constraining access identified. The study showed that lack of physical, human, cultural and financial capital constrained health workers' capacity to act. In particular, weak health infrastructure and health system failures led to the lack of sufficient drug and supply stocks and chronic staff shortages at the health facilities. However, health workers' capacity to mobilize social, cultural and symbolic capital played a significant role in their ability to overcome work related problems. Professional and non-professional social relationships were activated in order to access drug stocks and other supplies, transport and knowledge. By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance by looking at their resources and capacities. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers' capacities and identifies entry points for target actions.

Myths, Artifacts, and Fatal Flaws: Identifying Limitations and Opportunities in Vitamin C Research

PubMed Central

Michels, Alexander J.; Frei, Balz

2013-01-01

Research progress to understand the role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in human health has been slow in coming. This is predominantly the result of several flawed approaches to study design, often lacking a full appreciation of the redox chemistry and biology of ascorbic acid. In this review, we summarize our knowledge surrounding the limitations of common approaches used in vitamin C research. In human cell culture, the primary issues are the high oxygen environment, presence of redox-active transition metal ions in culture media, and the use of immortalized cell lines grown in the absence of supplemental ascorbic acid. Studies in animal models are also limited due to the presence of endogenous ascorbic acid synthesis. Despite the use of genetically altered rodent strains lacking synthesis capacity, there are additional concerns that these models do not adequately recapitulate the effects of vitamin C deprivation and supplementation observed in humans. Lastly, several flaws in study design endemic to randomized controlled trials and other human studies greatly limit their conclusions and impact. There also is anecdotal evidence of positive and negative health effects of vitamin C that are widely accepted but have not been substantiated. Only with careful attention to study design and experimental detail can we further our understanding of the possible roles of vitamin C in promoting human health and preventing or treating disease. PMID:24352093

Exploring pig raising in Bangladesh: implications for public health interventions.

PubMed

Nahar, Nazmun; Uddin, Main; Sarkar, Rouha Anamika; Gurley, Emily S; Uddin Khan, M Salah; Hossain, M Jahangir; Sultana, Rebeca; Luby, Stephen P

2013-01-01

Pigs are intermediate hosts and potential reservoirs of a number of pathogens that can infect humans. The objectives of this manuscript are to understand pig raising patterns in Bangladesh, interactions between pigs and humans, social stigma and discrimination that pig raisers experience and to explore the implications of these findings for public health interventions. The study team conducted an exploratory qualitative study by interviewing backyard pig raisers and nomadic herders (n=34), observing daily interactions between pigs and humans (n=18) and drawing seasonal diagrams (n=6) with herders to understand the reasons for movement of nomadic herds. Pig raisers had regular close interaction with pigs. They often touched, caressed and fed their pigs which exposed them to pigs' saliva and feces. Herders took their pigs close to human settlements for scavenging. Other domestic animals and poultry shared food and sleeping and scavenging places with pigs. Since pigs are taboo in Islam, a majority of Muslims rejected pig raising and stigmatized pig raisers. This study identified several potential ways for pigs to transmit infectious agents to humans in Bangladesh. Poverty and stigmatization of pig raisers make it difficult to implement health interventions to reduce the risk of such transmissions. Interventions that offer social support to reduce stigma and highlight economic benefits of disease control might interest of pig raisers in accepting interventions targeting pig borne zoonoses.

The response of human bacteria to static magnetic field and radiofrequency electromagnetic field.

PubMed

Crabtree, David P E; Herrera, Brandon J; Kang, Sanghoon

2017-10-01

Cell phones and electronic appliances and devices are inseparable from most people in modern society and the electromagnetic field (EMF) from the devices is a potential health threat. Although the direct health effect of a cell phone and its radiofrequency (RF) EMF to human is still elusive, the effect to unicellular organisms is rather apparent. Human microbiota, including skin microbiota, has been linked to a very significant role in the health of a host human body. It is important to understand the response of human skin microbiota to the RF-EMF from cell phones and personal electronic devices, since this may be one of the potential mechanisms of a human health threat brought about by the disruption of the intimate and balanced host-microbiota relationship. Here, we investigated the response of both laboratory culture strains and isolates of skin bacteria under static magnetic field (SMF) and RF-EMF. The growth patterns of laboratory cultures of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus epidermidis under SMF were variable per different species. The bacterial isolates of skin microbiota from 4 subjects with different cell phone usage history also showed inconsistent growth responses. These findings led us to hypothesize that cell phone level RF-EMF disrupts human skin microbiota. Thus, the results from the current study lay ground for more comprehensive research on the effect of RF-EMF on human health through the human-microbiota relationship.

Diagnosis - the limiting focus of taxonomy.

PubMed

Sturmberg, Joachim P; Martin, Carmel M

2016-02-01

The focus on the diagnosis is a pivotal aspect of medical practice since antiquity. Diagnostic taxonomy helped to categorize ailments to improve medical care, and in its social sense resulted in validation of the sick role for some, but marginalization or stigmatization for others. In the medical industrial complex, diagnostic taxonomy structured health care financing, management and practitioner remuneration. However, with increasing demands from multiple agencies, there are increasing unintended and unwarranted consequences of our current taxonomies and diagnostic processes resulting from the conglomeration of underpinning concepts, theories, information and motivations. We argue that the increasing focus on the diagnosis resulted in excessive compartmentalization - 'partialism' - of medical practice, diminishing medical care and being naively simplistic in light of the emerging understanding of the interconnected nature of the diseasome. The human is a complex organic system of interconnecting dynamics and feedback loops responding to internal and external forces including genetic, epigenetic and environmental attractors, rather than the sum of multiple discrete organs which can develop isolated diseases or multiple morbidities. Solutions to these unintended consequences of many contemporary health system processes involve revisiting the nature of diagnostic taxonomies and the processes of their construction. A dynamic taxonomic framework would shift to more relevant attractors at personal, clinical and health system levels recognizing the non-linear nature of health and disease. Human health at an individual, group and population level is the ability to adapt to internal and external stressors with resilience throughout the life course, yet diagnostic taxonomies are increasingly constructed around fixed anchors. Understanding diagnosis as dissecting, pigeonholing or bean counting (learning by dividing) is no longer useful, the challenge for the future is to understand the big picture (learning by connecting). Diagnostic categorization needs to embrace a meta-learning approach open to human variability. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Health needs and nursing care.

PubMed

Petersen, Cristina Buischi; Lima, Regina Aparecida Garcia de; Boemer, Magali Roseira; Rocha, Semiramis Melani Melo

2016-01-01

to present the concept of needs according to different approaches to discuss the possibility of health care that incorporates a broader view of human vulnerabilities in health services. the arguments are founded on nursing theorists who worked on the construction of frameworks relevant to care, based on needs and on philosophers who show the possibility of identifying the vulnerabilities of human beings, defending art as a therapeutic instrument that can promote health care. although care can acquire a new dimension with the introduction of art, according to certain perspectives, philosophical studies on ethics and aesthetics should be resumed to identify human vulnerabilities that can in fact be compensated by sensible understanding of the outer world. To incorporate art in nursing care requires studies from theorists to be recovered, deepening concepts and working on empirical investigations for their adequate use.

Modulation of the Gastrointestinal Microbiome with Nondigestible Fermentable Carbohydrates To Improve Human Health.

PubMed

Deehan, Edward C; Duar, Rebbeca M; Armet, Anissa M; Perez-Muñoz, Maria Elisa; Jin, Mingliang; Walter, Jens

2017-09-01

There is a clear association between the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome and the development of chronic noncommunicable diseases, providing a rationale for the development of strategies that target the GI microbiota to improve human health. In this article, we discuss the potential of supplementing the human diet with nondigestible fermentable carbohydrates (NDFCs) to modulate the composition, structure, diversity, and metabolic potential of the GI microbiome in an attempt to prevent or treat human disease. The current concepts by which NDFCs can be administered to humans, including prebiotics, fermentable dietary fibers, and microbiota-accessible carbohydrates, as well as the mechanisms by which these carbohydrates exert their health benefits, are discussed. Epidemiological research presents compelling evidence for the health effects of NDFCs, with clinical studies providing further support for some of these benefits. However, rigorously designed human intervention studies with well-established clinical markers and microbial endpoints are still essential to establish (i) the clinical efficiency of specific NDFCs, (ii) the causal role of the GI microbiota in these effects, (iii) the underlying mechanisms involved, and (iv) the degree by which inter-individual differences between GI microbiomes influence these effects. Such studies would provide the mechanistic understanding needed for a systematic application of NDFCs to improve human health via GI microbiota modulation while also allowing the personalization of these dietary strategies.

Patterns of Infection and Patterns of Evolution: How a Malaria Parasite Brought "Monkeys and Man" Closer Together in the 1960s.

PubMed

Mason Dentinger, Rachel

2016-04-01

In 1960, American parasitologist Don Eyles was unexpectedly infected with a malariaparasite isolated from a macaque. He and his supervisor, G. Robert Coatney of the National Institutes of Health, had started this series of experiments with the assumption that humans were not susceptible to "monkey malaria." The revelation that a mosquito carrying a macaque parasite could infect a human raised a whole range of public health and biological questions. This paper follows Coatney's team of parasitologists and their subjects: from the human to the nonhuman; from the American laboratory to the forests of Malaysia; and between the domains of medical research and natural history. In the course of this research, Coatney and his colleagues inverted Koch's postulate, by which animal subjects are used to identify and understand human parasites. In contrast, Coatney's experimental protocol used human subjects to identify and understand monkey parasites. In so doing, the team repeatedly followed malaria parasites across the purported boundary separating monkeys and humans, a practical experience that created a sense of biological symmetry between these separate species. Ultimately, this led Coatney and his colleagues make evolutionary inferences, concluding "that monkeys and man are more closely related than some of us wish to admit." In following monkeys, men, and malaria across biological, geographical, and disciplinary boundaries, this paper offers a new historical narrative, demonstrating that the pursuit of public health agendas can fuel the expansion of evolutionary knowledge.

Recent advances in our understanding of human host responses to tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Schluger, Neil W

2001-01-01

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

'Admit voluntary, schedule if tries to leave': placing Mental Health Acts in the context of mental health law and human rights.

PubMed

Wand, Anne; Wand, Timothy

2013-04-01

Most postgraduate training for clinicians in Australia and New Zealand regarding mental health legislation focuses on the relevant Mental Health Acts (MHAs) rather than the broader principles of mental health law. Key concepts include treatment in the least restrictive environment, voluntary access to mental health services, treatability, reciprocity and due process. Lack of awareness of these principles may result in a more risk-averse interpretation of MHAs, which is inconsistent with the spirit of mental health law and the promotion of human rights. The aim of this paper is to present some fundamental principles of mental health law, which are essential to proper clinical application of MHAs, and to demonstrate why they should form part of the curriculum for psychiatry training and continuing professional development for psychiatrists. A sound understanding of the principles of mental health law is essential for all clinicians who may be enacting aspects of MHAs. This provides the necessary platform to safeguard human rights and optimise the care of people with a mental illness.

6.3 Incorporating Susceptibility Information into Cumulative ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on understanding the differential health effects of environmental chemical exposures and on incorporating this information into risk assessments for environmental chemicals. Susceptibility is defined as increased likelihood of an adverse effect or an exposure, often discussed in terms of the relationship to a factor that can be used to describe a human subpopulation (e.g., lifestage, demographic feature, or genetic characteristic). In 1996, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) mandated that EPA consider possible increased susceptibility of infants and children in the risk assessments of food use pesticides, and the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) Amendments required EPA to consider susceptible populations in risk assessments used in support of regulations for drinking water contaminants. More recently, the National Research Council (NRC) report, Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment (NRC, 2008), states that “Variability in human susceptibility has not received sufficient or consistent attention in many EPA health risk assessments,” and the NRC provides specific recommendations for increasing the adequacy and consistency of the ways in which human variability is addressed in EPA human health risk assessments. Therefore, we need to develop an understanding of how to evaluate and apply the various types (intrinsic [biological] and extrinsic [stressors]) of susceptibility information most effectivel

Valuable human capital: the aging health care worker.

PubMed

Collins, Sandra K; Collins, Kevin S

2006-01-01

With the workforce growing older and the supply of younger workers diminishing, it is critical for health care managers to understand the factors necessary to capitalize on their vintage employees. Retaining this segment of the workforce has a multitude of benefits including the preservation of valuable intellectual capital, which is necessary to ensure that health care organizations maintain their competitive advantage in the consumer-driven market. Retaining the aging employee is possible if health care managers learn the motivators and training differences associated with this category of the workforce. These employees should be considered a valuable resource of human capital because without their extensive expertise, intense loyalty and work ethic, and superior customer service skills, health care organizations could suffer severe economic repercussions in the near future.

Humans in space.

PubMed

White, R J; Averner, M

2001-02-22

Many successful space missions over the past 40 years have highlighted the advantages and necessity of humans in the exploration of space. But as space travel becomes ever more feasible in the twenty-first century, the health and safety of future space explorers will be paramount. In particular, understanding the risks posed by exposure to radiation and extended weightlessness will be crucial if humans are to travel far from Earth.

The factors affecting the institutionalisation of two policy units in Burkina Faso's health system: a case study.

PubMed

Zida, Andre; Lavis, John N; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Kouyate, Bocar; Moat, Kaelan

2017-07-17

This paper is one of three linked studies that attempts to understand the process of institutionalisation of policy units within Burkina Faso's health system. It examines the relationships between the existence of an institutional framework, data production capacity and other resource availability in the institutionalisation of policy units in health systems. It therefore contributes to our understanding of the dynamics linking the key drivers and indicators of institutionalisation. Additionally, it examines how factors within the managerial setting, including workplace environment, and budgetary and human resource availability, may influence the institutionalisation process. The study used an explanatory qualitative case study approach, examining two policy units in Burkina Faso's Ministry of Health, the first of which had been institutionalised successfully and the other less so. Data were collected from key policymakers, including 13 connected with the first policy unit and 10 with the second, plus two funders. We also conducted a documentary analysis of the National Program for Health Development, two mid-term strategic plans, 230 action plans, eight Ministry of Health state budgets, eight Ministry of Health annual statistics reports, 16 policy unit budgets and published literature. The framework within which the government gave the policy unit its mandate and policy focus had the strongest effect on the institutionalisation process. Institutionalisation depended on political will, in both the host government and any donors, and the priority given to the policy unit's focus. It was also affected by the leadership of the policy unit managers. These factors were influenced by human resource capacity, and our findings suggest that, for successful institutionalisation in Burkina Faso's health system, policy units need to be given sufficient human resources to achieve their objectives. Policy units' institutionalisation in Burkina Faso's health system depend on the leadership of the unit managers to implement relevant activities, mobilise funding, and recruit and maintain enough human resources, as well as the mandate given by the government.

What Is Conscientiousness and How Can It Be Assessed?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Brent W.; Lejuez, Carl; Krueger, Robert F.; Richards, Jessica M.; Hill, Patrick L.

2014-01-01

Conscientiousness is a personality construct that is a core determinant of health, positive aging, and human capital. A large body of work has contributed to our understanding of this important aspect of personality, but there are multiple conceptual and methodological issues that complicate our understanding of conscientiousness. Toward this end,…

Using a metagenomic approach to improve our understanding of Armillaria root disease

Treesearch

Amy Ross-Davis; Matt Settles; John W. Hanna; John D. Shaw; Andrew T. Hudak; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Ned B. Klopfenstein

2015-01-01

Metagenomics has illuminated our understanding of how microbial communities influence health and disease. Researchers are beginning to characterize what constitutes healthy microbiota in terms of structure, function, and diversity in a variety of environments. Although investigation lags behind the more well-studied human microbiome, a growing body of research is using...

75 FR 48699 - Memorandum of Understanding Between United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0004] [FDA 225-10-0010] Memorandum of Understanding Between United States Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION...

77 FR 37059 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Active Controls in Studies To Demonstrate Effectiveness of a New...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2012-D-0419... who conduct studies using active controls and have a basic understanding of statistical principles... clinical investigators who conduct studies using active controls and have a basic understanding of...

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

PubMed

Suhonen, Marjo; Paasivaara, Leena

2011-03-01

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

Mapping global policy discourse on antimicrobial resistance.

PubMed

Wernli, Didier; Jørgensen, Peter S; Morel, Chantal M; Carroll, Scott; Harbarth, Stephan; Levrat, Nicolas; Pittet, Didier

2017-01-01

The rising importance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to the global health agenda is associated with a growing number of parties voicing their concern about the issue. With more recommendations and policies appearing, understanding the policy process requires making sense of the views, values, interests and goals of each participant. Policy frame analysis provides a method to understand both the scientific view and the actions advocated by global health actors to tackle AMR. Here we review and refine policy frame analyses of AMR using a deductive approach. Among several policy frames previously defined in the field of global health, we identify 'AMR as healthcare', 'AMR as development', 'AMR as innovation' and 'AMR as security' as frequent frames used in dealing with AMR. In addition, we found that 'AMR as One Health' constitutes a recent framing of the topic that seeks to provide an integrated understanding between human and animal health. Each frame originates in distinct scientific fields, conceptualises the main causes of AMR and prioritises different interventions and measurements. Better understanding and integration of these frames into an overarching social and ecological framework will support policy progress in tackling AMR.

'Doing good by proxy': human-animal kinship and the 'donation' of canine blood.

PubMed

Ashall, Vanessa; Hobson-West, Pru

2017-07-01

This article demonstrates the relevance of animals to medical sociology by arguing that pet owners' accounts of veterinary decision-making can highlight key sociological themes which are important to both human and animal health. Based on semi-structured interviews, the article argues that interspecies 'kinship' allows for the extension of sociological claims regarding altruism, self-interest and mutuality from human blood donation to companion animal blood 'donation'. Furthermore, this study extends sociological understanding of the human-animal bond by showing how the dog's status as kin meant they were expected to donate blood, and that the act of donation itself represents an important opportunity for family 'display'. However, owners who do not or cannot donate blood themselves describe pet blood donation as an opportunity to lessen associated feelings of guilt or obligation through 'doing good by proxy'. These findings raise critical sociological and ethical questions concerning the risks and benefits of donation, and for how we understand third-party decision making. Finally, the article argues for the close entanglement of human and animal health, and concludes that sociologists of health and medicine should explore the radical possibility that decision-making in healthcare more generally might be influenced by experiences at the veterinary clinic, and vice versa. (A Virtual Abstract of this paper can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_979cmCmR9rLrKuD7z0ycA). © 2017 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for SHIL.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1988 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 1, Biomedical Sciences

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

Park, J.F.

1989-06-01

This report summarizes progress on OHER biomedical and health-effects research conducted at PNL in FY 1988. The research develops the knowledge and scientific principles necessary to identify, understand, and anticipate the long-term health consequences of energy-related radiation and chemicals. Our continuing emphasis is to decrease the uncertainty of health-effects risk estimates from existing and/or developing energy-related technologies through an increased understanding of how radiation and chemicals cause health effects. The report is arranged to reflect PNL research relative to OHER programmatic structure. The first section, on human health effects, concerns statistical and epidemiological studies for assessing health risks. The nextmore » section, which contains reports of health-effects research in biological systems, includes research with radiation and chemicals.« less

Enhancing Interdisciplinary Human System Risk Research Through Modeling and Network Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mindock, Jennifer; Lumpkins, Sarah; Shelhamer, Mark

2015-01-01

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) supports research to reduce human health and performance risks inherent in future human space exploration missions. Understanding risk outcomes and contributing factors in an integrated manner allows HRP research to support development of efficient and effective mitigations from cross-disciplinary perspectives, and to enable resilient human and engineered systems for spaceflight. The purpose of this work is to support scientific collaborations and research portfolio management by utilizing modeling for analysis and visualization of current and potential future interdisciplinary efforts.

Abortion law around the world: progress and pushback.

PubMed

Finer, Louise; Fine, Johanna B

2013-04-01

There is a global trend toward the liberalization of abortion laws driven by women's rights, public health, and human rights advocates. This trend reflects the recognition of women's access to legal abortion services as a matter of women's rights and self-determination and an understanding of the dire public health implications of criminalizing abortion. Nonetheless, legal strategies to introduce barriers that impede access to legal abortion services, such as mandatory waiting periods, biased counseling requirements, and the unregulated practice of conscientious objection, are emerging in response to this trend. These barriers stigmatize and demean women and compromise their health. Public health evidence and human rights guarantees provide a compelling rationale for challenging abortion bans and these restrictions.

Biological diversity and public health.

PubMed

Bernstein, Aaron S

2014-01-01

In the wake of a species extinction event unprecedented in human history, how the variety, distribution, and abundance of life on earth may influence health has gained credence as a worthy subject for research and study at schools of public health and for consideration among policy makers. This article reviews a few of the principal ways in which health depends on biodiversity, including the discovery of new medicines, biomedical research, the provision of food, and the distribution and spread of infections. It also examines how changes in biological diversity underlie much of the global burden of disease and how a more thorough understanding of life on earth and its relationships has the potential to greatly alleviate and prevent human suffering.

Earth Science and Public Health: Proceedings of the Second National Conference on USGS Health-Related Research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buxton, Herbert T.; Griffin, Dale W.; Pierce, Brenda S.

2007-01-01

The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to serve the Nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life. As the Nation?s largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS can play a significant role in providing scientific knowledge and information that will improve our understanding of the relations of environment and wildlife to human health and disease. USGS human health-related research is unique in the Federal government because it brings together a broad spectrum of natural science expertise and information, including extensive data collection and monitoring on varied landscapes and ecosystems across the Nation. USGS can provide a great service to the public health community by synthesizing the scientific information and knowledge on our natural and living resources that influence human health, and by bringing this science to the public health community in a manner that is most useful. Partnerships with health scientists and managers are essential to the success of these efforts. USGS scientists already are working closely with the public health community to pursue rigorous inquiries into the connections between natural science and public health. Partnering agencies include the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Mine Safety and Health Administration, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Collaborations between public health scientists and earth scientists can lead to improved solutions for existing and emerging environmental health problems. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions held at the Second National Conference on USGS Health-Related Research, held at the USGS national headquarters in Reston, Virginia. The report presents 68 abstracts of technical presentations made at the conference and summaries of six topical breakout sessions. The abstracts cover a broad range of issues and demonstrate connections between human health and the quality and condition of our environment and wildlife. The summaries of the topical breakout sessions present ideas for advancing interdisciplinary science in areas of earth science and human health.

The use of glial data in human health assessments of environmental contaminants.

PubMed

Kraft, Andrew D

2015-07-03

Central nervous system (CNS) glia (i.e., astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes) are essential for maintaining neuronal homeostasis, and they orchestrate an organized cellular response to CNS injury. In addition to their beneficial roles, studies have demonstrated that disrupted glial function can have disastrous consequences on neuronal health. While effects on neuron-supportive glia are important to consider when evaluating neurotoxicity risk, interpreting glial changes is not always straightforward, particularly when attempting to discern pro-neurotoxic phenotypes from homeostatic processes or adaptive responses. To better understand how glia have been characterized and used in human health assessments of environmental contaminants (e.g., chemicals), an evaluation of all finalized assessments conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's influential Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) program between 1987 and 2013 was performed. Human health assessments to date have placed a clear emphasis on the neuronal cell response to potential toxicants, although more recent assessments increasingly include descriptions of glial changes. However, these descriptions are generally brief and non-specific, and they primarily consist of documenting gliosis following overt neuronal injury. As research interest in this topic continues to increase, methods for evaluating changes in glia continue to be expanded and refined, and assessors' confidence in the reliability of these data is likely to rise. Thus, glial data are anticipated to have an increasingly influential impact on the interpretation of neurotoxicity risk and underlying mechanisms. As our understanding of the complex roles these cells play grows, this knowledge is expected to support the inclusion of more extensive and specific descriptions of glial changes, including informed interpretations of the potential impact on CNS health, in future human health assessments. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms and U.S. Geological Survey science capabilities

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graham, Jennifer L.; Dubrovsky, Neil M.; Eberts, Sandra M.

2016-09-29

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CyanoHABs) are increasingly a global concern because CyanoHABs pose a threat to human and aquatic ecosystem health and cause economic damages. Despite advances in scientific understanding of cyanobacteria and associated compounds, many unanswered questions remain about occurrence, environmental triggers for toxicity, and the ability to predict the timing, duration, and toxicity of CyanoHABs. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists are leading a diverse range of studies to address CyanoHAB issues in water bodies throughout the United States, using a combination of traditional methods and emerging technologies, and in collaboration with numerous partners. By providing practical applications of cutting edge CyanoHAB research, USGS studies have advanced scientific understanding, enabling the development of approaches to help protect ecological and human health.

A comparison of human elements and nonhuman elements in private health care settings: customers' perceptions and expectations.

PubMed

Mohd Suki, Norazah; Chwee Lian, Jennifer Chiam; Suki, Norbayah Mohd

2009-01-01

In today's highly competitive health care environment, many private health care settings are now looking into customer service indicators to learn customers' perceptions and determine whether they are meeting customers' expectations in order to ensure that their customers are satisfied with the services. This research paper aims to investigate whether the human elements were more important than the nonhuman elements in private health care settings. We used the internationally renowned SERVQUAL five-dimension model plus three additional dimensions-courtesy, communication, and understanding of customers of the human element-when evaluating health care services. A total of 191 respondents from three private health care settings in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia were investigated. Descriptive statistics were calculated by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program, version 15. Interestingly, the results suggested that customers nowadays have very high expectations especially when it comes to the treatment they are receiving. Overall, the research indicated that the human elements were more important than the nonhuman element in private health care settings. Hospital management should look further to improve on areas that have been highlighted. Implications for management practice and directions for future research are discussed.

Cellular respiration: replicating in vivo systems biology for in vitro exploration of human exposome, microbiome, and disease pathogenesis biomarkers

EPA Science Inventory

This editorial develops a philosophy for expanding the scope of Journal of Breath Research (JBR) into the realm of cellular level study, and links certain topics back to more traditional systemic research for understanding human health based on exhaled breath constituents. The ex...

Predicting Residential Exposure to Phthalate Plasticizer Emitted from Vinyl Flooring: Sensitivity, Uncertainty, and Implications for Biomonitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Given the ubiquitous nature of phthalates in the environment and the potential for adverse human health impacts, there is a need to understand the potential human exposure. A three-compartment model is developed to estimate the emission rate of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) f...

SHEDS-Multimedia Model Version 3 (a) Technical Manual; (b) User Guide; and (c) Executable File to Launch SAS Program and Install Model

EPA Science Inventory

Reliable models for assessing human exposures are important for understanding health risks from chemicals. The Stochastic Human Exposure and Dose Simulation model for multimedia, multi-route/pathway chemicals (SHEDS-Multimedia), developed by EPA’s Office of Research and Developm...

An Integrated Modeling Platform for Human and Ecological Exposure and Risk in Multimedia Environmental Systems (HE2RMES)

EPA Science Inventory

When considering potentially hazardous materials in the context of initial use, reuse, recycling, or ultimate disposal in the landscape, a crux of most decision will be understanding the cumulative contaminant exposure and risk of a given material to human health and well-being. ...

TOWARDS RELIABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE OZONE EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT: PARAMETER EVALUATION AND MODEL VALIDATION USING THE HARVARD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHRONIC OZONE EXPOSURE STUDY DATA

EPA Science Inventory

Accurate assessment of chronic human exposure to atmospheric criteria pollutants, such as ozone, is critical for understanding human health risks associated with living in environments with elevated ambient pollutant concentrations. In this study, we analyzed a data set from a...

Towards whole-body ultra-weak photon counting and imaging with a focus on human beings: a review.

PubMed

Van Wijk, Roeland; Van Wijk, Eduard P A; van Wietmarschen, Herman A; van der Greef, Jan

2014-10-05

For decades, the relationship between ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) and the health state of the body is being studied. With the advent of systems biology, attention shifted from the association between UPE and reactive oxygen species towards UPE as a reflection of changed metabolic networks. Essential for this shift in thinking is the development of novel photon count statistical methods that more reflect the dynamics of the systems organization. Additionally, efforts to combine and correlate UPE data with other types of measurements such as metabolomics be key to understand the complexity of the human body. This review describes the history and developments in the area of human UPE research from a technical - methodological perspective, an experimental perspective and a theoretical perspective. There is ample evidence that human UPE research will allow a better understanding of the body as a complex dynamical system. The future lies in the further development of an integrated UPE and metabolomics platform for a personalized monitoring of changes of the system towards health or disease. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Network information analysis reveals risk perception transmission in a behaviour-influenza dynamics system.

PubMed

Liao, C-M; You, S-H; Cheng, Y-H

2015-01-01

Influenza poses a significant public health burden worldwide. Understanding how and to what extent people would change their behaviour in response to influenza outbreaks is critical for formulating public health policies. We incorporated the information-theoretic framework into a behaviour-influenza (BI) transmission dynamics system in order to understand the effects of individual behavioural change on influenza epidemics. We showed that information transmission of risk perception played a crucial role in the spread of health-seeking behaviour throughout influenza epidemics. Here a network BI model provides a new approach for understanding the risk perception spread and human behavioural change during disease outbreaks. Our study allows simultaneous consideration of epidemiological, psychological, and social factors as predictors of individual perception rates in behaviour-disease transmission systems. We suggest that a monitoring system with precise information on risk perception should be constructed to effectively promote health behaviours in preparation for emerging disease outbreaks.

Ecological Monitoring and Health Research in Luambe National Park, Zambia: Generation of Baseline Data Layers.

PubMed

Anderson, Neil E; Bessell, Paul R; Mubanga, Joseph; Thomas, Robert; Eisler, Mark C; Fèvre, Eric M; Welburn, Susan C

2016-09-01

Classifying, describing and understanding the natural environment is an important element of studies of human, animal and ecosystem health, and baseline ecological data are commonly lacking in remote environments of the world. Human African trypanosomiasis is an important constraint on human well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, and spillover transmission occurs from the reservoir community of wild mammals. Here we use robust and repeatable methodology to generate baseline datasets on vegetation and mammal density to investigate the ecology of warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) in the remote Luambe National Park in Zambia, in order to further our understanding of their interactions with tsetse (Glossina spp.) vectors of trypanosomiasis. Fuzzy set theory is used to produce an accurate landcover classification, and distance sampling techniques are applied to obtain species and habitat level density estimates for the most abundant wild mammals. The density of warthog burrows is also estimated and their spatial distribution mapped. The datasets generated provide an accurate baseline to further ecological and epidemiological understanding of disease systems such as trypanosomiasis. This study provides a reliable framework for ecological monitoring of wild mammal densities and vegetation composition in remote, relatively inaccessible environments.

A new theory of health promoting schools based on human functioning, school organisation and pedagogic practice.

PubMed

Markham, Wolfgang A; Aveyard, Paul

2003-03-01

This paper outlines a novel explanatory frame for understanding how schools may intervene in order to promote pupils' health. The new theory is synthesised from an Aristotelian interpretation of human functioning and a theory of cultural transmission. In keeping with recent influential theoretical developments, it is proposed that health has its roots in human functioning. It follows from this concept that the promotion of pupils' health is facilitated by the promotion of pupil functioning and the primary mechanisms through which schools promote pupil functioning and, hence, health, are through the influences of school organisation, curriculum development and pedagogic practice on pupil development. According to the new theory, good human functioning is dependent on the realisation of a number of identified essential human capacities and the meeting of identified fundamental human needs. Two essential capacities, the capacity for practical reasoning and the capacity for affiliation with other humans, plan and organise the other essential capacities. The realisation of these two capacities should, it is argued, be the primary focus of health promoting schools. Additionally, health promoting schools should ensure that fundamental human needs concerning non-useful pain and information about the body are met. A number of testable hypotheses are generated from the new theory. Comparisons with existing interpretations of health promoting schools indicate there are similarities in the actions schools should take to promote health. However, the new theory can, uniquely, be used to predict which pupils will enjoy the best health at school and in adulthood. Additionally, according to the new theory, schools do not need designated health education classes or teaching staff with specialist health education roles in order to be health promoting. It is concluded that the new theory may have a number of advantages over existing theories at both the policy and intervention levels.

Metro Nature, Environmental Health, and Economic Value

PubMed Central

Robbins, Alicia S.T.

2015-01-01

Background Nearly 40 years of research provides an extensive body of evidence about human health, well-being, and improved function benefits associated with experiences of nearby nature in cities. Objectives We demonstrate the numerous opportunities for future research efforts that link metro nature, human health and well-being outcomes, and economic values. Methods We reviewed the literature on urban nature-based health and well-being benefits. In this review, we provide a classification schematic and propose potential economic values associated with metro nature services. Discussion Economic valuation of benefits derived from urban green systems has largely been undertaken in the fields of environmental and natural resource economics, but studies have not typically addressed health outcomes. Urban trees, parks, gardens, open spaces, and other nearby nature elements—collectively termed metro nature—generate many positive externalities that have been largely overlooked in urban economics and policy. Here, we present a range of health benefits, including benefit context and beneficiaries. Although the understanding of these benefits is not yet consistently expressed, and although it is likely that attempts to link urban ecosystem services and economic values will not include all expressions of cultural or social value, the development of new interdisciplinary approaches that integrate environmental health and economic disciplines are greatly needed. Conclusions Metro nature provides diverse and substantial benefits to human populations in cities. In this review, we begin to address the need for development of valuation methodologies and new approaches to understanding the potential economic outcomes of these benefits. Citation Wolf KL, Robbins AS. 2015. Metro nature, environmental health, and economic value. Environ Health Perspect 123:390–398; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1408216 PMID:25626137

Human health and ecological assessment programs for Hebei Spirit oil spill accident of 2007: Status, lessons, and future challenges.

PubMed

Jung, Dawoon; Kim, Jung-Ah; Park, Myung-Sook; Yim, Un Hyuk; Choi, Kyungho

2017-04-01

Hebei Spirit oil spill (HSOS) of December 2007 is one of the worst oil spill accidents that occurred in Yellow Sea. The affected coastline along the west coast of Korean Peninsula hosts one of the largest tidal flats worldwide, and is home to tens of thousands of human residents. Based on nation-wide concerns on ecosystem damages and adverse human health effects, two separate surveillance programs on ecosystem and human health were initiated: a 10-year follow-up program by Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to assess ecological impacts of the oil spill, and an exposure and health effect assessment program by Ministry of Environment for the residents of Taean and its vicinity. For the past eight years, extensive monitoring and surveillance data on ecosystem and humans have been accumulated through these programs. But these studies have been conducted mostly independently, and collaborations were seldom made between two programs. The lack of communication resulted in gaps and overlaps between the programs which led to loss of critical information and efficiency. As oil spill can affect both humans and ecosystem through various pathways, collaboration and communication between human and ecosystem health surveillance programs are necessary, and will synergize the success of both programs. Such concerted efforts will provide better platform for understanding the status of impact, and for developing approaches to address human and ecosystem health challenges that may be faced following environmental disasters like HSOS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Overview on urban and peri-urban agriculture: definition, impact on human health, constraints and policy issues.

PubMed

Kang'ethe, E K; Grace, D; Randolph, T F

2007-11-01

To collate and synthesize current knowledge of components of urban agriculture (UA) with a thematic emphasis on human health impact and a geographic emphasis on East Africa. Data management followed a structured approach in which key issues were first identified and then studies selected through literature search and personal communication. Evidence-based principles. Urban agriculture is an important source of food security for urban dwellers in East Africa. Descriptors of UA are location, areas, activities, scale, products, destinations, stakeholders and motivation. Many zoonotic and food-borne diseases have been associated with UA but evidence on human health impact and management is lacking. Major constraints to UA are illegality and lack of access to input and market; policy options have been developed for overcoming these. Urban agriculture is an important activity and likely to remain so. Both positive and negative human health impacts are potentially important but more research is needed to understand these and set appropriate policy and support levels.

An ecological approach to promoting population mental health and well-being--a response to the challenge of climate change.

PubMed

Nurse, Jo; Basher, Damian; Bone, Angie; Bird, William

2010-01-01

Climate change can be viewed as human-induced change to climate and depletion of natural systems. It potentially the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. It is predicted to have wide-ranging impacts upon human mental health and well-being, through changes and challenges to people's environment, socioeconomic structures and physical security. Even the most conservative estimates of the health impacts are extremely alarming. Increasingly, the causes of poor human health and environmental damage are related. This implies that there are common solutions. For example, there are co-benefits to human health and biodiversity from mitigating and adapting to climate change (e.g. promoting active transport and reducing car use reduces CO2 emissions, benefits our environment and reduces morbidity and mortality associated with a sedentary lifestyle). This article outlines how climate change impacts upon mental health and well-being. It introduces ecological concepts, applies these to public health and outlines their implications in transforming the way that we prioritize and deliver public health in order to promote both environmental and human health. Evidence, from psychology and neuroscience, suggests that the perception of being disconnected from our inner selves, from each other and from our environment has contributed to poor mental and physical health. We argue that we must transform the way we understand mental health and well-being and integrate it into action against climate change. We describe a Public Health Framework for Developing Well-Being, based on the principles of ecological public health.

Chemical Analysis of Plants that Poison Livestock: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities.

PubMed

Welch, Kevin D; Lee, Stephen T; Cook, Daniel; Gardner, Dale R; Pfister, James A

2018-04-04

Poisonous plants have a devastating impact on the livestock industry as well as human health. To fully understand the effects of poisonous plants, multiple scientific disciplines are required. Chemical analysis of plant secondary compounds is key to identifying the responsible toxins, characterizing their metabolism, and understanding their effects on animals and humans. In this review, we highlight some of the successes in studying poisonous plants and mitigating their toxic effects. We also highlight some of the remaining challenges and opportunities with regards to the chemical analysis of poisonous plants.

Human, animal and environmental contributors to antibiotic resistance in low-resource settings: integrating behavioural, epidemiological and One Health approaches.

PubMed

Rousham, Emily K; Unicomb, Leanne; Islam, Mohammad Aminul

2018-04-11

Antibiotic resistance (ABR) is recognized as a One Health challenge because of the rapid emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria and genes among humans, animals and the environment on a global scale. However, there is a paucity of research assessing ABR contemporaneously in humans, animals and the environment in low-resource settings. This critical review seeks to identify the extent of One Health research on ABR in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Existing research has highlighted hotspots for environmental contamination; food-animal production systems that are likely to harbour reservoirs or promote transmission of ABR as well as high and increasing human rates of colonization with ABR commensal bacteria such as Escherichia coli However, very few studies have integrated all three components of the One Health spectrum to understand the dynamics of transmission and the prevalence of community-acquired resistance in humans and animals. Microbiological, epidemiological and social science research is needed at community and population levels across the One Health spectrum in order to fill the large gaps in knowledge of ABR in low-resource settings. © 2018 The Author(s).

The role of airborne mineral dusts in human disease

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morman, Suzette A.; Plumlee, Geoffrey S.

2013-01-01

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) is generally acknowledged to increase risk for human morbidity and mortality. However, particulate matter (PM) research has generally examined anthropogenic (industry and combustion by-products) sources with few studies considering contributions from geogenic PM (produced from the Earth by natural processes, e.g., volcanic ash, windborne ash from wildfires, and mineral dusts) or geoanthropogenic PM (produced from natural sources by processes that are modified or enhanced by human activities, e.g., dusts from lakebeds dried by human removal of water, dusts produced from areas that have undergone desertification as a result of human practices). Globally, public health concerns are mounting, related to potential increases in dust emission from climate related changes such as desertification and the associated long range as well as local health effects. Recent epidemiological studies have identified associations between far-traveled dusts from primary sources and increased morbidity and mortality in Europe and Asia. This paper provides an outline of public health research and history as it relates to naturally occurring inorganic mineral dusts. We summarize results of current public health research and describe some of the many challenges related to understanding health effects from exposures to dust aerosols.

How evolutionary principles improve the understanding of human health and disease.

PubMed

Gluckman, Peter D; Low, Felicia M; Buklijas, Tatjana; Hanson, Mark A; Beedle, Alan S

2011-03-01

An appreciation of the fundamental principles of evolutionary biology provides new insights into major diseases and enables an integrated understanding of human biology and medicine. However, there is a lack of awareness of their importance amongst physicians, medical researchers, and educators, all of whom tend to focus on the mechanistic (proximate) basis for disease, excluding consideration of evolutionary (ultimate) reasons. The key principles of evolutionary medicine are that selection acts on fitness, not health or longevity; that our evolutionary history does not cause disease, but rather impacts on our risk of disease in particular environments; and that we are now living in novel environments compared to those in which we evolved. We consider these evolutionary principles in conjunction with population genetics and describe several pathways by which evolutionary processes can affect disease risk. These perspectives provide a more cohesive framework for gaining insights into the determinants of health and disease. Coupled with complementary insights offered by advances in genomic, epigenetic, and developmental biology research, evolutionary perspectives offer an important addition to understanding disease. Further, there are a number of aspects of evolutionary medicine that can add considerably to studies in other domains of contemporary evolutionary studies.

How evolutionary principles improve the understanding of human health and disease

PubMed Central

Gluckman, Peter D; Low, Felicia M; Buklijas, Tatjana; Hanson, Mark A; Beedle, Alan S

2011-01-01

An appreciation of the fundamental principles of evolutionary biology provides new insights into major diseases and enables an integrated understanding of human biology and medicine. However, there is a lack of awareness of their importance amongst physicians, medical researchers, and educators, all of whom tend to focus on the mechanistic (proximate) basis for disease, excluding consideration of evolutionary (ultimate) reasons. The key principles of evolutionary medicine are that selection acts on fitness, not health or longevity; that our evolutionary history does not cause disease, but rather impacts on our risk of disease in particular environments; and that we are now living in novel environments compared to those in which we evolved. We consider these evolutionary principles in conjunction with population genetics and describe several pathways by which evolutionary processes can affect disease risk. These perspectives provide a more cohesive framework for gaining insights into the determinants of health and disease. Coupled with complementary insights offered by advances in genomic, epigenetic, and developmental biology research, evolutionary perspectives offer an important addition to understanding disease. Further, there are a number of aspects of evolutionary medicine that can add considerably to studies in other domains of contemporary evolutionary studies. PMID:25567971

Algae as nutritional and functional food sources: revisiting our understanding.

PubMed

Wells, Mark L; Potin, Philippe; Craigie, James S; Raven, John A; Merchant, Sabeeha S; Helliwell, Katherine E; Smith, Alison G; Camire, Mary Ellen; Brawley, Susan H

2017-01-01

Global demand for macroalgal and microalgal foods is growing, and algae are increasingly being consumed for functional benefits beyond the traditional considerations of nutrition and health. There is substantial evidence for the health benefits of algal-derived food products, but there remain considerable challenges in quantifying these benefits, as well as possible adverse effects. First, there is a limited understanding of nutritional composition across algal species, geographical regions, and seasons, all of which can substantially affect their dietary value. The second issue is quantifying which fractions of algal foods are bioavailable to humans, and which factors influence how food constituents are released, ranging from food preparation through genetic differentiation in the gut microbiome. Third is understanding how algal nutritional and functional constituents interact in human metabolism. Superimposed considerations are the effects of harvesting, storage, and food processing techniques that can dramatically influence the potential nutritive value of algal-derived foods. We highlight this rapidly advancing area of algal science with a particular focus on the key research required to assess better the health benefits of an alga or algal product. There are rich opportunities for phycologists in this emerging field, requiring exciting new experimental and collaborative approaches.

Quantifying Children's Aggregate (Dietary and Residential) Exposure and Dose to Permethin: Application and Evaluation of EPA's Probabilistic SHED-Multimedia Model

EPA Science Inventory

Reliable, evaluated human exposure and dose models are important for understanding the health risks from chemicals. A case study focusing on permethrin was conducted because of this insecticide’s widespread use and potential health effects. SHEDS-Multimedia was applied to estimat...

Alcohol and Drug Prevention Curriculum Resource Guide Grades 10-12: Science--Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Alcohol and Drug Defense Program.

This curriculum resource guide on alcohol and drug prevention provides suggested activities for teachers of grades 10 through 12. Three integrated learning activities for science/biology and healthful living are presented. The science/biology goal is understanding the biology of humans. Healthful living goals include analyzing drug and alcohol use…

Integrating Human Health and Environmental Health into the DPSIR Framework: A Tool to Identify Research Opportunities for Sustainable and Healthy Communities

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently realigned its research enterprise around the concept of sustainability. Scientists from across multiple disciplines have a role to play in contributing the information, methods, and tools to more fully understand the long-term...

Know Yourself: Comprehensive Health Education Material for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chicago Public Schools, IL.

This book was developed to help high school students understand the changes taking place in their bodies and to learn about themselves at the same time. Topics include good grooming, clean health habits, human reproduction, sexually transmitted diseases, responsible sexual behavior, and substance abuse. This information can increase students'…

Urban Forest Health Monitoring in the United States

Treesearch

David J. Nowak; Robert Hoehn; Jeffrey T. Walton; Daniel E. Crane; Jack C. Stevens; Daniel Twardus; Anne Cumming; Manfred Mielke; Bill Smith

2006-01-01

Trees in cities can contribute significantly to human health and environmental quality. Unfortunately, little is known about the urban forest resource and what it contributes to the local, regional, and national societal and economic interests. To help better understand the urban forest resource and its numerous values, the USDA Forest Service has initiated a pilot...

Urban tree effects on fine particulate matter and human health

Treesearch

David J. Nowak

2014-01-01

Overall, city trees reduce particulate matter and provide substantial health benefits; but under certain conditions, they can locally increase particulate matter concentrations. Urban foresters need to understand how trees affect particulate matter so they can select proper species and create appropriate designs to improve air quality. This article details trees'...

Targeting the ecology within: The role of the gut-brain axis and human microbiota in drug addiction.

PubMed

Skosnik, Patrick D; Cortes-Briones, Jose A

2016-08-01

Despite major advances in our understanding of the brain using traditional neuroscience, reliable and efficacious treatments for drug addiction have remained elusive. Hence, the time has come to utilize novel approaches, particularly those drawing upon contemporary advances in fields outside of established neuroscience and psychiatry. Put another way, the time has come for a paradigm shift in the addiction sciences. Apropos, a revolution in the area of human health is underway, which is occurring at the nexus between enteric microbiology and neuroscience. It has become increasingly clear that the human microbiota (the vast ecology of bacteria residing within the human organism), plays an important role in health and disease. This is not surprising, as it has been estimated that bacteria living in the human body (approximately 1kg of mass, roughly equivalent to that of the human brain) outnumber human cells 10 to 1. While advances in the understanding of the role of microbiota in other areas of human health have yielded intriguing results (e.g., Clostridium difficile, irritable bowel syndrome, autism, etc.), to date, no systematic programs of research have examined the role of microbiota in drug addiction. The current hypothesis, therefore, is that gut dysbiosis plays a key role in addictive disorders. In the context of this hypothesis, this paper provides a rationale for future research to target the "gut-brain axis" in addiction. A brief background of the gut-brain axis is provided, along with a series of hypothesis-driven ideas outlining potential treatments for addiction via manipulations of the "ecology within." Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Joining the dots - understanding the complex interplay between the values we place on wildlife, biodiversity conservation, human and animal health: A review.

PubMed

Ryser-Degiorgis, M-P; Pewsner, M; Angst, C

2015-05-01

The value of wildlife has long been ignored or under-rated. However, growing concerns about biodiversity loss and emerging diseases of wildlife origin have enhanced debates about the importance of wildlife. Wildlife-related diseases are viewed through these debates as a potential threat to wildlife conservation and domestic animal and human health. This article provides an overview of the values we place on wildlife (positive: socio-cultural, nutritional, economic, ecological; and negative: damages, health issues) and of the significance of diseases for biodiversity conservation. It shows that the values of wildlife, the emergence of wildlife diseases and biodiversity conservation are closely linked. The article also illustrates why investigations into wildlife diseases are now recognized as an integral part of global health issues. The modern One Health concept requires multi-disciplinary research groups including veterinarians, human physicians, ecologists and other scientists collaborating towards a common goal: prevention of disease emergence and preservation of ecosystems, both of which are essential to protect human life and well-being.

Human Microbiome Acquisition and Bioinformatic Challenges in Metagenomic Studies

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The study of the human microbiome has become a very popular topic. Our microbial counterpart, in fact, appears to play an important role in human physiology and health maintenance. Accordingly, microbiome alterations have been reported in an increasing number of human diseases. Despite the huge amount of data produced to date, less is known on how a microbial dysbiosis effectively contributes to a specific pathology. To fill in this gap, other approaches for microbiome study, more comprehensive than 16S rRNA gene sequencing, i.e., shotgun metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, are becoming more widely used. Methods standardization and the development of specific pipelines for data analysis are required to contribute to and increase our understanding of the human microbiome relationship with health and disease status. PMID:29382070

Humans vs Hardware: The Unique World of NASA Human System Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anton, W.; Havenhill, M.; Overton, Eric

2016-01-01

Understanding spaceflight risks to crew health and performance is a crucial aspect of preparing for exploration missions in the future. The research activities of the Human Research Program (HRP) provide substantial evidence to support most risk reduction work. The Human System Risk Board (HSRB), acting on behalf of the Office of Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO), assesses these risks and assigns likelihood and consequence ratings to track progress. Unfortunately, many traditional approaches in risk assessment such as those used in the engineering aspects of spaceflight are difficult to apply to human system risks. This presentation discusses the unique aspects of risk assessment from the human system risk perspective and how these limitations are accommodated and addressed in order to ensure that reasonable inputs are provided to support the OCHMO's overall risk posture for manned exploration missions.

Integrating modelling and smart sensors for environmental and human health

PubMed Central

Reis, Stefan; Seto, Edmund; Northcross, Amanda; Quinn, Nigel W.T.; Convertino, Matteo; Jones, Rod L.; Maier, Holger R.; Schlink, Uwe; Steinle, Susanne; Vieno, Massimo; Wimberly, Michael C.

2015-01-01

Sensors are becoming ubiquitous in everyday life, generating data at an unprecedented rate and scale. However, models that assess impacts of human activities on environmental and human health, have typically been developed in contexts where data scarcity is the norm. Models are essential tools to understand processes, identify relationships, associations and causality, formalize stakeholder mental models, and to quantify the effects of prevention and interventions. They can help to explain data, as well as inform the deployment and location of sensors by identifying hotspots and areas of interest where data collection may achieve the best results. We identify a paradigm shift in how the integration of models and sensors can contribute to harnessing ‘Big Data’ and, more importantly, make the vital step from ‘Big Data’ to ‘Big Information’. In this paper, we illustrate current developments and identify key research needs using human and environmental health challenges as an example. PMID:26644778

Stress hormone levels in a freshwater turtle from sites differing in human activity.

PubMed

Polich, Rebecca L

2016-01-01

Glucocorticoids, such as corticosterone (CORT), commonly serve as a measure of stress levels in vertebrate populations. These hormones have been implicated in regulation of feeding behaviour, locomotor activity, body mass, lipid metabolism and other crucial behaviours and physiological processes. Thus, understanding how glucocorticoids fluctuate seasonally and in response to specific stressors can yield insight into organismal health and the overall health of populations. I compared circulating CORT concentrations between two similar populations of painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, which differed primarily in the level of exposure to human recreational activities. I measured basal CORT concentrations as well as the CORT stress response and did not find any substantive difference between the two populations. This similarity may indicate that painted turtles are not stressed by the presence of humans during the nesting season. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of CORT concentrations in freshwater reptiles, a group that is historically under-represented in studies of circulating hormone concentrations; specifically, studies that seek to use circulating concentrations of stress hormones, such as CORT, as a measure of the effect of human activities on wild populations. They also give insight into how these species as a whole may respond to human recreational activities during crucial life-history stages, such as the nesting season. Although there was no discernable difference between circulating CORT concentrations between the urban and rural populations studied, I did find a significant difference in circulating CORT concentrations between male and female C. picta. This important finding provides better understanding of the sex differences between male and female painted turtles and adds to our understanding of this species and other species of freshwater turtle.

Chemically-induced Mouse Lung Tumors: Applications to ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A state-of-the-science workshop on chemically-induced mouse lung tumors was conducted by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to better understand the mouse lung tumor data’s role in human health assessments. Three environmental chemicals - naphthalene, styrene, and ethylbenzene were chosen for the analysis due to the commonality of mouse lung tumors in all three chemicals. The goals of the workshop were to: identify the evidence, from multiple scientific disciplines, regarding formation of chemically-induced lung tumors in mice; discuss analysis and interpretation of the evidence; discuss how such evidence informs human health assessments; and identify commonalities, linkages, or differences between the evidence from various disciplines and across the chemicals. Evidence informing the association between occupational exposure to styrene, ethylbenzene, or naphthalene and lung cancer; comparative biology of mouse lung tumors, associated pathologic effects, issues related to tissue and species concordance; mode of action analysis and biological mechanisms including pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics; and evidence from cellular, genetic and molecular toxicity was discussed. In summary, although consensus was not sought, the panelists agreed that available mouse lung tumor data should be considered for human health risk evaluation on an individual chemical basis. Key data gaps were identified that would assist in further understanding the mechanism and relevan

A Brave New World: The Lung Microbiota in an Era of Change

PubMed Central

Blaser, Martin J.

2014-01-01

The development of culture-independent techniques has revolutionized our understanding of how our human cells interact with the even greater number of microbial inhabitants of our bodies. As part of this revolution, data are increasingly challenging the old dogma that in health, the lung mucosa is sterile. To understand how the lung microbiome may play a role in human health, we identified five major questions for lung microbiome research: (1) Is the lung sterile? (2) Is there a unique core microbiome in the lung? (3) How dynamic are the microbial populations? (4) How do pulmonary immune responses affect microbiome composition? and (5) Are the lungs influenced by the intestinal immune responses to the gut microbiome? From birth, we are exposed to continuous microbial challenges that shape our microbiome. In our changing environment, perturbation of the gut microbiome affects both human health and disease. With widespread antibiotic use, the ancient microbes that formerly resided within us are being lost, for example, Helicobacter pylori in the stomach. Animal models show that antibiotic exposure in early life has developmental consequences. Considering the potential effects of this altered microbiome on pulmonary responses will be critical for future investigations. PMID:24437400

Noncoding RNAs and the control of signalling via nuclear receptor regulation in health and disease.

PubMed

Cathcart, Paul; Lucchesi, Walter; Ottaviani, Silvia; De Giorgio, Alex; Krell, Jonathan; Stebbing, Justin; Castellano, Leandro

2015-08-01

Nuclear receptors belong to a superfamily of proteins that play central roles in human biology, orchestrating a large variety of biological functions in both health and disease. Understanding the interactions and regulatory pathways of NRs will allow development of potential therapeutic interventions for a multitude of disease processes. Non-coding RNAs have recently been discovered to have significant interactions with NR signalling pathways via a variety of biological connections. This review summarises the known interactions between ncRNAs and the NR superfamily in health, embryogenesis and a plethora of human diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Failing States as Epidemiologic Risk Zones: Implications for Global Health Security.

PubMed

Hirschfeld, Katherine

Failed states commonly experience health and mortality crises that include outbreaks of infectious disease, violent conflict, reductions in life expectancy, and increased infant and maternal mortality. This article draws from recent research in political science, security studies, and international relations to explore how the process of state failure generates health declines and outbreaks of infectious disease. The key innovation of this model is a revised definition of "the state" as a geographically dynamic rather than static political space. This makes it easier to understand how phases of territorial contraction, collapse, and regeneration interrupt public health programs, destabilize the natural environment, reduce human security, and increase risks of epidemic infectious disease and other humanitarian crises. Better understanding of these dynamics will help international health agencies predict and prepare for future health and mortality crises created by failing states.

Perceptions of nursing undergraduate students concerning the human dimension in the learning process.

PubMed

de Oliveira Camillo, Simone; Lúcia da Silva, Ana; Jefferson do Nascimento, Alan

2007-01-01

This study aimed to identify and interpret the perceptions presented by undergraduate students of a Nursing course after internship in Mental Health. Twelve nursing undergraduate students at the Nursing School of ABC Foundation - Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil were interviewed. These interviews using a semi-structure script were performed and recorded in August 2004. Through Content Analysis, thematic modality, four categories were identified, 1. mental health: providing understanding of the other; 2. respect for the human being: the importance of listening, 3. mental health: contributing for a contextualized view of the patient and 4. nursing graduation: undesirable "signs and symptoms" of the profession. The analysis and the discussion of these categories suggest the possibility of teaching based on the human condition. Thus, we support the idea of new research been carried out, considering that the Mental Health discipline must be valued in the Political and Pedagogical projects of the Nursing Undergraduate Courses.

Human health effects of air pollution.

PubMed Central

Folinsbee, L J

1993-01-01

Over the past three or four decades, there have been important advances in the understanding of the actions, exposure-response characteristics, and mechanisms of action of many common air pollutants. A multidisciplinary approach using epidemiology, animal toxicology, and controlled human exposure studies has contributed to the database. This review will emphasize studies of humans but will also draw on findings from the other disciplines. Air pollutants have been shown to cause responses ranging from reversible changes in respiratory symptoms and lung function, changes in airway reactivity and inflammation, structural remodeling of pulmonary airways, and impairment of pulmonary host defenses, to increased respiratory morbidity and mortality. Quantitative and qualitative understanding of the effects of a small group of air pollutants has advanced considerably, but the understanding is by no means complete, and the breadth of effects of all air pollutants is only partially understood. PMID:8354181

Interdisciplinary Environmental-health Science Throughout Disaster Lifecycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plumlee, G. S.; Morman, S. A.; Hoefen, T. M.

2014-12-01

Potential human health effects from exposures to hazardous disaster materials and environmental contamination are common concerns following disasters. Using several examples from US Geological Survey environmental disaster responses (e.g., 2001 World Trade Center, mine tailings spills, 2005 Hurricane Katrina, 2007-2013 wildfires, 2011 Gulf oil spill, 2012 Hurricane Sandy, 2013 Colorado floods) and disaster scenarios (2011 ARkStorm, 2013 SAFRR tsunami) this presentation will illustrate the role for collaborative earth, environmental, and health science throughout disaster lifecycles. Pre-disaster environmental baseline measurements are needed to help understand environmental influences on pre-disaster health baselines, and to constrain the magnitude of a disaster's impacts. During and following disasters, there is a need for interdisciplinary rapid-response and longer-term assessments that: sample and characterize the physical, chemical, and microbial makeup of complex materials generated by the disasters; fingerprint material sources; monitor, map, and model dispersal and evolution of disaster materials in the environment; help understand how the materials are modified by environmental processes; and, identify key characteristics and processes that influence the exposures and toxicity of disaster materials to humans and the living environment. This information helps emergency responders, public health experts, and cleanup managers: 1) identify short- and long-term exposures to disaster materials that may affect health; 2) prioritize areas for cleanup; and 3) develop appropriate disposal solutions or restoration uses for disaster materials. By integrating lessons learned from past disasters with geospatial information on vulnerable sources of natural or anthropogenic contaminants, the environmental health implications of looming disasters or disaster scenarios can be better anticipated, which helps enhance preparedness and resilience. Understanding economic costs of environmental cleanup and environmental-health impacts from disasters is an area of needed research. Throughout all disaster stages, effective communication between diverse scientific disciplines and stakeholder groups is both a necessity and a challenge.

An Active Learning Exercise to Facilitate Understanding of Nephron Function: Anatomy and Physiology of Renal Transporters

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dirks-Naylor, Amie J.

2016-01-01

Renal transport is a central mechanism underlying electrolyte homeostasis, acid base balance and other essential functions of the kidneys in human physiology. Thus, knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the nephron is essential for the understanding of kidney function in health and disease. However, students find this content difficult to…

Information systems and human error in the lab.

PubMed

Bissell, Michael G

2004-01-01

Health system costs in clinical laboratories are incurred daily due to human error. Indeed, a major impetus for automating clinical laboratories has always been the opportunity it presents to simultaneously reduce cost and improve quality of operations by decreasing human error. But merely automating these processes is not enough. To the extent that introduction of these systems results in operators having less practice in dealing with unexpected events or becoming deskilled in problemsolving, however new kinds of error will likely appear. Clinical laboratories could potentially benefit by integrating findings on human error from modern behavioral science into their operations. Fully understanding human error requires a deep understanding of human information processing and cognition. Predicting and preventing negative consequences requires application of this understanding to laboratory operations. Although the occurrence of a particular error at a particular instant cannot be absolutely prevented, human error rates can be reduced. The following principles are key: an understanding of the process of learning in relation to error; understanding the origin of errors since this knowledge can be used to reduce their occurrence; optimal systems should be forgiving to the operator by absorbing errors, at least for a time; although much is known by industrial psychologists about how to write operating procedures and instructions in ways that reduce the probability of error, this expertise is hardly ever put to use in the laboratory; and a feedback mechanism must be designed into the system that enables the operator to recognize in real time that an error has occurred.

Effects of Sex Steroids in the Human Brain.

PubMed

Nguyen, Tuong-Vi; Ducharme, Simon; Karama, Sherif

2017-11-01

Sex steroids are thought to play a critical developmental role in shaping both cortical and subcortical structures in the human brain. Periods of profound changes in sex steroids invariably coincide with the onset of sex differences in mental health vulnerability, highlighting the importance of sex steroids in determining sexual differentiation of the brain. Yet, most of the evidence for the central effects of sex steroids relies on non-human studies, as several challenges have limited our understanding of these effects in humans: the lack of systematic assessment of the human sex steroid metabolome, the different developmental trajectories of specific sex steroids, the impact of genetic variation and epigenetic changes, and the plethora of interactions between sex steroids, sex chromosomes, neurotransmitters, and other hormonal systems. Here we review how multimodal strategies may be employed to bridge the gap between the basic and clinical understanding of sex steroid-related changes in the human brain.

Theory-based approaches to understanding public emergency preparedness: implications for effective health and risk communication.

PubMed

Paek, Hye-Jin; Hilyard, Karen; Freimuth, Vicki; Barge, J Kevin; Mindlin, Michele

2010-06-01

Recent natural and human-caused disasters have awakened public health officials to the importance of emergency preparedness. Guided by health behavior and media effects theories, the analysis of a statewide survey in Georgia reveals that self-efficacy, subjective norm, and emergency news exposure are positively associated with the respondents' possession of emergency items and their stages of emergency preparedness. Practical implications suggest less focus on demographics as the sole predictor of emergency preparedness and more comprehensive measures of preparedness, including both a person's cognitive stage of preparedness and checklists of emergency items on hand. We highlight the utility of theory-based approaches for understanding and predicting public emergency preparedness as a way to enable more effective health and risk communication.

Metabolome of human gut microbiome is predictive of host dysbiosis.

PubMed

Larsen, Peter E; Dai, Yang

2015-01-01

Humans live in constant and vital symbiosis with a closely linked bacterial ecosystem called the microbiome, which influences many aspects of human health. When this microbial ecosystem becomes disrupted, the health of the human host can suffer; a condition called dysbiosis. However, the community compositions of human microbiomes also vary dramatically from individual to individual, and over time, making it difficult to uncover the underlying mechanisms linking the microbiome to human health. We propose that a microbiome's interaction with its human host is not necessarily dependent upon the presence or absence of particular bacterial species, but instead is dependent on its community metabolome; an emergent property of the microbiome. Using data from a previously published, longitudinal study of microbiome populations of the human gut, we extrapolated information about microbiome community enzyme profiles and metabolome models. Using machine learning techniques, we demonstrated that the aggregate predicted community enzyme function profiles and modeled metabolomes of a microbiome are more predictive of dysbiosis than either observed microbiome community composition or predicted enzyme function profiles. Specific enzyme functions and metabolites predictive of dysbiosis provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbiome-host interactions. The ability to use machine learning to predict dysbiosis from microbiome community interaction data provides a potentially powerful tool for understanding the links between the human microbiome and human health, pointing to potential microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.

Metabolome of human gut microbiome is predictive of host dysbiosis

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

Larsen, Peter E.; Dai, Yang

Background: Humans live in constant and vital symbiosis with a closely linked bacterial ecosystem called the microbiome, which influences many aspects of human health. When this microbial ecosystem becomes disrupted, the health of the human host can suffer; a condition called dysbiosis. The community compositions of human microbiomes also vary dramatically from individual to individual, and over time, making it difficult to uncover the underlying mechanisms linking the microbiome to human health. We propose that a microbiome’s interaction with its human host is not necessarily dependent upon the presence or absence of particular bacterial species, but instead is dependent onmore » its community metabolome; an emergent property of the microbiome. Results: Using data from a previously published, longitudinal study of microbiome populations of the human gut, we extrapolated information about microbiome community enzyme profiles and metabolome models. Using machine learning techniques, we demonstrated that the aggregate predicted community enzyme function profiles and modeled metabolomes of a microbiome are more predictive of dysbiosis than either observed microbiome community composition or predicted enzyme function profiles. Conclusions: Specific enzyme functions and metabolites predictive of dysbiosis provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbiome–host interactions. The ability to use machine learning to predict dysbiosis from microbiome community interaction data provides a potentially powerful tool for understanding the links between the human microbiome and human health, pointing to potential microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.« less

Metabolome of human gut microbiome is predictive of host dysbiosis

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

Larsen, Peter E.; Dai, Yang

Background: Humans live in constant and vital symbiosis with a closely linked bacterial ecosystem called the microbiome, which influences many aspects of human health. When this microbial ecosystem becomes disrupted, the health of the human host can suffer; a condition called dysbiosis. However, the community compositions of human microbiomes also vary dramatically from individual to individual, and over time, making it difficult to uncover the underlying mechanisms linking the microbiome to human health. We propose that a microbiome’s interaction with its human host is not necessarily dependent upon the presence or absence of particular bacterial species, but instead is dependentmore » on its community metabolome; an emergent property of the microbiome. Results: Using data from a previously published, longitudinal study of microbiome populations of the human gut, we extrapolated information about microbiome community enzyme profiles and metabolome models. Using machine learning techniques, we demonstrated that the aggregate predicted community enzyme function profiles and modeled metabolomes of a microbiome are more predictive of dysbiosis than either observed microbiome community composition or predicted enzyme function profiles. Conclusions: Specific enzyme functions and metabolites predictive of dysbiosis provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbiome–host interactions. The ability to use machine learning to predict dysbiosis from microbiome community interaction data provides a potentially powerful tool for understanding the links between the human microbiome and human health, pointing to potential microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.« less

Metabolome of human gut microbiome is predictive of host dysbiosis

DOE PAGES

Larsen, Peter E.; Dai, Yang

2015-09-14

Background: Humans live in constant and vital symbiosis with a closely linked bacterial ecosystem called the microbiome, which influences many aspects of human health. When this microbial ecosystem becomes disrupted, the health of the human host can suffer; a condition called dysbiosis. The community compositions of human microbiomes also vary dramatically from individual to individual, and over time, making it difficult to uncover the underlying mechanisms linking the microbiome to human health. We propose that a microbiome’s interaction with its human host is not necessarily dependent upon the presence or absence of particular bacterial species, but instead is dependent onmore » its community metabolome; an emergent property of the microbiome. Results: Using data from a previously published, longitudinal study of microbiome populations of the human gut, we extrapolated information about microbiome community enzyme profiles and metabolome models. Using machine learning techniques, we demonstrated that the aggregate predicted community enzyme function profiles and modeled metabolomes of a microbiome are more predictive of dysbiosis than either observed microbiome community composition or predicted enzyme function profiles. Conclusions: Specific enzyme functions and metabolites predictive of dysbiosis provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbiome–host interactions. The ability to use machine learning to predict dysbiosis from microbiome community interaction data provides a potentially powerful tool for understanding the links between the human microbiome and human health, pointing to potential microbiome-based diagnostics and therapeutic interventions.« less

An evolving perspective about the origins of childhood undernutrition and nutritional interventions that includes the gut microbiome.

PubMed

Ahmed, Tahmeed; Auble, David; Berkley, James A; Black, Robert; Ahern, Philip P; Hossain, Muttaquina; Hsieh, Andrea; Ireen, Santhia; Arabi, Mandana; Gordon, Jeffrey I

2014-12-01

The Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science and the World Health Organization (WHO) have worked together to formulate a research agenda for nutrition science. Undernutrition of children has profound effects on health, development, and achievement of full human capacity. Undernutrition is not simply caused by a lack of food, but results from a complex interplay of intra- and intergenerational factors. Representative preclinical models and comprehensive well-controlled longitudinal clinical studies are needed to further understand the contributions and the interrelationships among these factors and to develop interventions that are effective and durable. This paper summarizes work on mechanisms underlying the varied manifestations of childhood undernutrition and discusses current gaps in knowledge and challenges to our understanding of undernutrition and infection/immunity throughout the human life cycle, focusing on early childhood growth. It proposes a series of basic and clinical studies to address this global health challenge. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Perceived social isolation, evolutionary fitness and health outcomes: a lifespan approach.

PubMed

Hawkley, Louise C; Capitanio, John P

2015-05-26

Sociality permeates each of the fundamental motives of human existence and plays a critical role in evolutionary fitness across the lifespan. Evidence for this thesis draws from research linking deficits in social relationship--as indexed by perceived social isolation (i.e. loneliness)--with adverse health and fitness consequences at each developmental stage of life. Outcomes include depression, poor sleep quality, impaired executive function, accelerated cognitive decline, unfavourable cardiovascular function, impaired immunity, altered hypothalamic pituitary-adrenocortical activity, a pro-inflammatory gene expression profile and earlier mortality. Gaps in this research are summarized with suggestions for future research. In addition, we argue that a better understanding of naturally occurring variation in loneliness, and its physiological and psychological underpinnings, in non-human species may be a valuable direction to better understand the persistence of a 'lonely' phenotype in social species, and its consequences for health and fitness. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Health Effects of Climate Change

MedlinePlus

... in their leisure time. Deeply embedded in this fundamental relationship between climate and human life are the ... and emergency services to address disaster planning and management. Research to understand the benefits of alternative fuels, ...

American Academy of Pain Medicine

MedlinePlus

... Updates for 2018 webinar will outline CPT and ICT-10 code changes coming in 2018, guide understanding ... and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; ...

The new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine: pros and cons for pediatric and adolescent health.

PubMed

Thomas, Tami L

2008-01-01

The new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is a research breakthrough for pediatric/adolescent health to prevent cervical cancer and related morbidity. The annual heath care cost for the treatment of cervical cancer and genital warts is estimated to be more than three billion dollars a year. The new HPV vaccine has incredible potential to improve reproductive health promotion, reduce health care costs, and close health care disparity gaps. However, issues both for and against the new HPV vaccine, including mandating vaccination, high cost of the vaccine, the short duration of protection offered, and the perceived promotion of sexual activity, cause confusion. Pediatric nurses, including those in advanced practice, benefit by understanding the pros and cons of these issues in advocating for their patients.

Commonalities between Disaster and Climate Change Risks for Health: A Theoretical Framework.

PubMed

Banwell, Nicola; Rutherford, Shannon; Mackey, Brendan; Street, Roger; Chu, Cordia

2018-03-16

Disasters and climate change have significant implications for human health worldwide. Both climate change and the climate-sensitive hazards that result in disasters, are discussed in terms of direct and indirect impacts on health. A growing body of literature has argued for the need to link disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, there is limited articulation of the commonalities between these health impacts. Understanding the shared risk pathways is an important starting point for developing joint strategies for adapting to, and reducing, health risks. Therefore, this article discusses the common aspects of direct and indirect health risks of climate change and climate-sensitive disasters. Based on this discussion a theoretical framework is presented for understanding these commonalities. As such, this article hopes to extend the current health impact frameworks and provide a platform for further research exploring opportunities for linked adaptation and risk reduction strategies.

Commonalities between Disaster and Climate Change Risks for Health: A Theoretical Framework

PubMed Central

Banwell, Nicola; Rutherford, Shannon; Mackey, Brendan; Street, Roger; Chu, Cordia

2018-01-01

Disasters and climate change have significant implications for human health worldwide. Both climate change and the climate-sensitive hazards that result in disasters, are discussed in terms of direct and indirect impacts on health. A growing body of literature has argued for the need to link disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. However, there is limited articulation of the commonalities between these health impacts. Understanding the shared risk pathways is an important starting point for developing joint strategies for adapting to, and reducing, health risks. Therefore, this article discusses the common aspects of direct and indirect health risks of climate change and climate-sensitive disasters. Based on this discussion a theoretical framework is presented for understanding these commonalities. As such, this article hopes to extend the current health impact frameworks and provide a platform for further research exploring opportunities for linked adaptation and risk reduction strategies. PMID:29547592

Pacific Northwest Laboratory annual report for 1987 to the DOE Office of Energy Research: Part 1, Biomedical Sciences

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

Park, J.F.

1988-02-01

This report summarizes progress on OHER biomedical and health-effects research conducted at Pacific Northwest Laboratory in FY 1987. The research develops the knowledge and scientific principles necessary to identify, understand, and anticipate the long-term health consequences of energy-related radiation and chemicals. Our continuing emphasis is to decrease the uncertainty of health-effects risk estimates from existing and/or developing energy-related technologies through an increased understanding of how radiation and chemicals cause health effects. The report is arranged to reflect PNL research relative to OHER programmatic structure. The first section, on human health effects, concerns statistical and epidemiological studies for assessing health risks.more » The next section, which contains reports of health-effects research in biological systems, includes research with radiation and chemicals. The last section is related to medical applications of nuclear technology.« less

People, partnerships and human progress: building community capital.

PubMed

Hancock, T

2001-09-01

The Victorian-era journal The Sanitarian used on its masthead the slogan 'A nation's health is a nation's wealth'. Today, we are re-discovering that wisdom, recognizing that health is indeed a form of wealth. Moreover, we are beginning to understand that wealth is not merely our economic capital, but includes three other forms of capital--social, natural and human capital. Health is one key element of human capital. A healthy community is one that has high levels of social, ecological, human and economic 'capital', the combination of which may be thought of as 'community capital'. The challenge for communities in the 21st century will be to increase all four forms of capital simultaneously. This means working with suitable partners in the private sector, making human development the central purpose of governance, and more closely integrating social, environmental and economic policy. Community gardens, sustainable transportation systems and energy conservation programmes in community housing projects are some of the ways in which we can build community capital.

Identification and Management of Human Trafficking Victims in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Hachey, Lisa M; Phillippi, Julia C

Health care practitioners serve an important role in identification and assistance of human trafficking victims. Advanced practice registered nurses, including certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners, are in a unique position to interact with persons trafficked and seen in the clinical setting, yet they require knowledge to identify the signs of human trafficking. Lack of training and education has been identified as a barrier for health care professionals to recognize human trafficking victims and implement needed health care services (; ). Barriers to identification and management include gap in knowledge about the process to screen for trafficking, to assist victims, and to make referrals. A patient-centered, trauma-informed approach can provide a safe environment to sensitively screen patients for human trafficking. Advanced practice registered nurses should be able to assess for trafficking indicators, collaborate with multidisciplinary service providers, and ensure understanding and availability of federal, state, and local resources to manage the care of victims of trafficking.

Echinococcosis: Control and Prevention.

PubMed

Craig, P S; Hegglin, D; Lightowlers, M W; Torgerson, P R; Wang, Q

2017-01-01

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) has been eliminated or significantly reduced as a public health problem in several previously highly endemic regions. This has been achieved by the long-term application of prevention and control measures primarily targeted to deworming dogs, health education, meat inspection, and effective surveillance in livestock and human populations. Human CE, however, remains a serious neglected zoonotic disease in many resource-poor pastoral regions. The incidence of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) has increased in continental Europe and is a major public health problem in parts of Eurasia. Better understanding of wildlife ecology for fox and small mammal hosts has enabled targeted anthelmintic baiting of fox populations and development of spatially explicit models to predict population dynamics for key intermediate host species and human AE risk in endemic landscapes. Challenges that remain for echinococcosis control include effective intervention in resource-poor communities, better availability of surveillance tools, optimal application of livestock vaccination, and management and ecology of dog and wildlife host populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The spatial patterns of water management practices are reflected in the strontium isotope ratios of human hair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipple, B. J.; Valenzuela, L. O.; Ehleringer, J.

2012-12-01

Element concentrations and isotopes of human tissues are commonly used to understand how emissions and processes within urban ecosystems affect health. Thus, it is important to understand how these elements are incorporated and flow through the urban environment and are ultimately incorporated into human tissues. Here, we designed an experiment to identify the relative importance of strontium (Sr) sources (bedrock, dust, food, and water) to hair Sr isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr). To understand the contribution of Sr to human hair, we collected hair from individuals living in Salt Lake City, Utah. In addition to sample location, we compiled information regarding age, sex, ethnicity, and dietary habits. We found a significant association between 87Sr/86Sr value of hair and collection location. There were no significant relationships between 87Sr/86Sr value of hair and age, ethnicity, or sex. We had not predicted a relationship between 87Sr/86Sr values and collection location, because of the close proximities of sites to one another (all within an 8-km radius). We found that tap water 87Sr/86Sr values across the Salt Lake Valley varied with water management practice and this variation corresponded to hair 87Sr/86Sr value. These data suggest an additional geographically controlled source of Sr may be an important contributor to the 87Sr/86Sr value of hair. These findings suggest that local water is an important source of Sr in human hair and that hair is a sensitive temporal carrier of this environmental information. These observations have important implications to future studies of humans with regard to urban ecology, human health, forensic sciences, and anthropology.

A review of the health impacts of barium from natural and anthropogenic exposure.

PubMed

Kravchenko, Julia; Darrah, Thomas H; Miller, Richard K; Lyerly, H Kim; Vengosh, Avner

2014-08-01

There is an increasing public awareness of the relatively new and expanded industrial barium uses which are potential sources of human exposure (e.g., a shale gas development that causes an increased awareness of environmental exposures to barium). However, absorption of barium in exposed humans and a full spectrum of its health effects, especially among chronically exposed to moderate and low doses of barium populations, remain unclear. We suggest a systematic literature review (from 1875 to 2014) on environmental distribution of barium, its bioaccumulation, and potential and proven health impacts (in animal models and humans) to provide the information that can be used for optimization of future experimental and epidemiological studies and developing of mitigative and preventive strategies to minimize negative health effects in exposed populations. The potential health effects of barium exposure are largely based on animal studies, while epidemiological data for humans, specifically for chronic low-level exposures, are sparse. The reported health effects include cardiovascular and kidney diseases, metabolic, neurological, and mental disorders. Age, race, dietary patterns, behavioral risks (e.g., smoking), use of medications (those that interfere with absorbed barium in human organism), and specific physiological status (e.g., pregnancy) can modify barium effects on human health. Identifying, evaluating, and predicting the health effects of chronic low-level and moderate-level barium exposures in humans is challenging: Future research is needed to develop an understanding of barium bioaccumulation in order to mitigate its potential health impacts in various exposured populations. Further, while occupationally exposed at-risk populations exist, it is also important to identify potentially vulnerable subgroups among non-occupationally exposed populations (e.g., elderly, pregnant women, children) who are at higher risk of barium exposure from drinking water and food.

Beyond information access: Support for complex cognitive activities in public health informatics tools.

PubMed

Sedig, Kamran; Parsons, Paul; Dittmer, Mark; Ola, Oluwakemi

2012-01-01

Public health professionals work with a variety of information sources to carry out their everyday activities. In recent years, interactive computational tools have become deeply embedded in such activities. Unlike the early days of computational tool use, the potential of tools nowadays is not limited to simply providing access to information; rather, they can act as powerful mediators of human-information discourse, enabling rich interaction with public health information. If public health informatics tools are designed and used properly, they can facilitate, enhance, and support the performance of complex cognitive activities that are essential to public health informatics, such as problem solving, forecasting, sense-making, and planning. However, the effective design and evaluation of public health informatics tools requires an understanding of the cognitive and perceptual issues pertaining to how humans work and think with information to perform such activities. This paper draws on research that has examined some of the relevant issues, including interaction design, complex cognition, and visual representations, to offer some human-centered design and evaluation considerations for public health informatics tools.

Place-focused physical activity research, human agency, and social justice in public health: taking agency seriously in studies of the built environment.

PubMed

Blacksher, Erika; Lovasi, Gina S

2012-03-01

Built environment characteristics have been linked to health outcomes and health disparities. However, the effects of an environment on behavior may depend on human perception, interpretation, motivation, and other forms of human agency. We draw on epidemiological and ethical concepts to articulate a critique of research on the built environment and physical activity. We identify problematic assumptions and enumerate both scientific and ethical reasons to incorporate subjective perspectives and public engagement strategies into built environment research and interventions. We maintain that taking agency seriously is essential to the pursuit of health equity and the broader demands of social justice in public health, an important consideration as studies of the built environment and physical activity increasingly focus on socially disadvantaged communities. Attention to how people understand their environment and navigate competing demands can improve the scientific value of ongoing efforts to promote active living and health, while also better fulfilling our ethical obligations to the individuals and communities whose health we strive to protect. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Globalisation: what is it and how does it affect health?

PubMed

Lee, Kelley

2004-02-16

The term "globalisation" tends to be misused and overused. We need greater clarity in our understanding of the globalisation process, including the distinct changes involved and their relation to human health. The health impacts of globalisation are simultaneously positive and negative, varying according to factors such as geographical location, sex, age, ethnic origin, education level, and socioeconomic status. Globalisation is not an unstoppable force. Our key challenge is to create socially and environmentally sustainable forms of globalisation that provide the greatest benefits and least costs, shared more equitably than is currently the case. The health community must engage more directly in current research and policy debates on globalisation and encourage values that promote human health. At the same time, those at the helm of globalisation processes must recognise that attending to health impacts will strengthen the long-term sustainability of globalisation.

Understanding the transformative aspects of the Wilderness and Protected Lands experience upon human health

Treesearch

Alan Ewert; Jillisa Overholt; Alison Voight; Chun Chieh Wang

2011-01-01

Wilderness and Protected Landscapes (WPLs) have long been considered special areas for a variety of reasons including baseline data, impact analyses, protected zones, and other tangible and intangible values. Another salient, and some would argue, a more important value offered through WPLs is that of human transformation. Accordingly, three theories have provided the...

THE ROLE OF AVIAN HOST DYNAMICS AND ANTHROPOGENIC STRESSORS ON THE TRANSMISSION OF WEST NILE VIRUS AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN HEALTH AND BIODIVERSITY

EPA Science Inventory

Our multidisciplinary approach will allow for an understanding of how ecological changes affect arbovirus infection and distribution and help determine the impact of WNV on both host and human populations. By comparing models of predicted prevalence to actual changes in WNV tr...

Power and Culture in Emerging Medical Technology Policymaking: The Case of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyndham-West, Michelle; Wiktorowicz, Mary; Tsasis, Peter

2018-01-01

This article captures how scientific uncertainty is negotiated and its implications on public health policy. Through the case study of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine in Canada, we investigated how policymakers engage in 'sensemaking', the process whereby policymakers mediate shifting informational terrain to come to an understanding of what…

Impact of climate change on human infectious diseases: Empirical evidence and human adaptation.

PubMed

Wu, Xiaoxu; Lu, Yongmei; Zhou, Sen; Chen, Lifan; Xu, Bing

2016-01-01

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather conditions and patterns of extreme weather events. It may lead to changes in health threat to human beings, multiplying existing health problems. This review examines the scientific evidences on the impact of climate change on human infectious diseases. It identifies research progress and gaps on how human society may respond to, adapt to, and prepare for the related changes. Based on a survey of related publications between 1990 and 2015, the terms used for literature selection reflect three aspects--the components of infectious diseases, climate variables, and selected infectious diseases. Humans' vulnerability to the potential health impacts by climate change is evident in literature. As an active agent, human beings may control the related health effects that may be effectively controlled through adopting proactive measures, including better understanding of the climate change patterns and of the compound disease-specific health effects, and effective allocation of technologies and resources to promote healthy lifestyles and public awareness. The following adaptation measures are recommended: 1) to go beyond empirical observations of the association between climate change and infectious diseases and develop more scientific explanations, 2) to improve the prediction of spatial-temporal process of climate change and the associated shifts in infectious diseases at various spatial and temporal scales, and 3) to establish locally effective early warning systems for the health effects of predicated climate change. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Global atmospheric changes.

PubMed

Piver, W T

1991-12-01

Increasing concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can be directly related to global warming. In terms of human health, because a major cause of increasing atmospheric concentrations of CO2 is the increased combustion of fossil fuels, global warming also may result in increases in air pollutants, acid deposition, and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. To understand better the impacts of global warming phenomena on human health, this review emphasizes the processes that are responsible for the greenhouse effect, air pollution, acid deposition, and increased exposure to UV radiation.

Environmental metabolomics: a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats).

PubMed

Miller, Marion G

2007-02-01

Metabolomic approaches have the potential to make an exceptional contribution to understanding how chemicals and other environmental stressors can affect both human and environmental health. However, the application of metabolomics to environmental exposures, although getting underway, has not yet been extensively explored. This review will use a SWOT analysis model to discuss some of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that are apparent to an investigator venturing into this relatively new field. SWOT has been used extensively in business settings to uncover new outlooks and identify problems that would impede progress. The field of environmental metabolomics provides great opportunities for discovery, and this is recognized by a high level of interest in potential applications. However, understanding the biological consequence of environmental exposures can be confounded by inter- and intra-individual differences. Metabolomic profiles can yield a plethora of data, the interpretation of which is complex and still being evaluated and researched. The development of the field will depend on the availability of technologies for data handling and that permit ready access metabolomic databases. Understanding the relevance of metabolomic endpoints to organism health vs adaptation vs variation is an important step in understanding what constitutes a substantive environmental threat. Metabolomic applications in reproductive research are discussed. Overall, the development of a comprehensive mechanistic-based interpretation of metabolomic changes offers the possibility of providing information that will significantly contribute to the protection of human health and the environment.

Lesbian and bisexual women's human rights, sexual rights and sexual citizenship: negotiating sexual health in England.

PubMed

Formby, Eleanor

2011-11-01

Lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health is neglected in much Government policy and practice in England and Wales. This paper examines lesbian and bisexual women's negotiation of sexual health, drawing on findings from a small research project. Themes explored include invisibility and lack of information, influences on decision-making and sexual activities and experiences of services and barriers to sexual healthcare. Key issues of importance in this respect are homophobic and heterosexist social contexts. Drawing on understandings of lesbian, gay and bisexual human rights, sexual rights and sexual citizenship, it is argued that these are useful lenses through which to examine and address lesbian and bisexual women's sexual health and related inequalities.

Abortion Law Around the World: Progress and Pushback

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

There is a global trend toward the liberalization of abortion laws driven by women’s rights, public health, and human rights advocates. This trend reflects the recognition of women’s access to legal abortion services as a matter of women’s rights and self-determination and an understanding of the dire public health implications of criminalizing abortion. Nonetheless, legal strategies to introduce barriers that impede access to legal abortion services, such as mandatory waiting periods, biased counseling requirements, and the unregulated practice of conscientious objection, are emerging in response to this trend. These barriers stigmatize and demean women and compromise their health. Public health evidence and human rights guarantees provide a compelling rationale for challenging abortion bans and these restrictions. PMID:23409915

Beyond PM2.5: The role of ultrafine particles on adverse health effects of air pollution.

PubMed

Chen, Rui; Hu, Bin; Liu, Ying; Xu, Jianxun; Yang, Guosheng; Xu, Diandou; Chen, Chunying

2016-12-01

Air pollution constitutes the major threat to human health, whereas their adverse impacts and underlying mechanisms of different particular matters are not clearly defined. Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are high related to the anthropogenic emission sources, i.e. combustion engines and power plants. Their composition, source, typical characters, oxidative effects, potential exposure routes and health risks were thoroughly reviewed. UFPs play a major role in adverse impacts on human health and require further investigations in future toxicological research of air pollution. Unlike PM2.5, UFPs may have much more impacts on human health considering loads of evidences emerging from particulate matters and nanotoxicology research fields. The knowledge of nanotoxicology contributes to the understanding of toxicity mechanisms of airborne UFPs in air pollution. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Assessing Human Health Risk to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: a Focus on Prenatal Exposures and Oxidative Stress

PubMed Central

Neier, Kari; Marchlewicz, Elizabeth H.; Dolinoy, Dana C.; Padmanabhan, Vasantha

2016-01-01

Understanding the health risk posed by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is a challenge that is receiving intense attention. The following study criteria should be considered to facilitate risk assessment for exposure to EDCs: 1) characterization of target health outcomes and their mediators, 2) study of exposures in the context of critical periods of development, 3) accurate estimates of human exposures and use of human-relevant exposures in animal studies, and 4) cross-species comparisons. In this commentary, we discuss the importance and relevance of each of these criteria in studying the effects of prenatal exposure to EDCs. Our discussion focuses on oxidative stress as a mediator of EDC-related health effects due to its association with both EDC exposure and health outcomes. Our recent study (Veiga-Lopez et al. 2015)1 addressed each of the four outlined criteria and demonstrated that prenatal bisphenol-A exposure is associated with oxidative stress, a risk factor for developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. PMID:27231701

Towards Meeting the Needs of Adolescents: An Assessment of Federally Funded Adolescent Health Programs and Initiatives within the Department of Health and Human Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brindis, Claire; Hair, Elizabeth; Valderrama, L. Teresa; Cleveland, Kevin; Park, Jane; Cochran, Stephanie

2005-01-01

The overall goal of this project is to better understand the types of youth programs available that may influence the health measures presented in the U.S. Chartbook where American adolescents fare differently--sometimes better, sometimes worse--than their counterparts in other countries. In an effort to do so, the authors reviewed the existing…

National Forest Health Monitoring Program, Monitoring Urban Forests in Indiana: Pilot Study 2002, Part 2: Statewide Estimates Using the UFORE Model

Treesearch

David Nowak; Anne Buckelew Cumming; Daniel Twardus; Robert Hoehn; Manfred Mielke

2007-01-01

Trees in cities can improve environmental quality and human health. Unfortunately, little is known about the urban forest resource and what and how it contributes to local, regional, and national societies and economies. To better understand the urban forest resource and its value, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Monitoring Program...

Human Factors in the Large: Experiences from Denmark, Finland and Canada in Moving Towards Regional and National Evaluations of Health Information System Usability. Contribution of the IMIA Human Factors Working Group.

PubMed

Kushniruk, A; Kaipio, J; Nieminen, M; Hyppönen, H; Lääveri, T; Nohr, C; Kanstrup, A M; Berg Christiansen, M; Kuo, M-H; Borycki, E

2014-08-15

The objective of this paper is to explore approaches to understanding the usability of health information systems at regional and national levels. Several different methods are discussed in case studies from Denmark, Finland and Canada. They range from small scale qualitative studies involving usability testing of systems to larger scale national level questionnaire studies aimed at assessing the use and usability of health information systems by entire groups of health professionals. It was found that regional and national usability studies can complement smaller scale usability studies, and that they are needed in order to understand larger trends regarding system usability. Despite adoption of EHRs, many health professionals rate the usability of the systems as low. A range of usability issues have been noted when data is collected on a large scale through use of widely distributed questionnaires and websites designed to monitor user perceptions of usability. As health information systems are deployed on a widespread basis, studies that examine systems used regionally or nationally are required. In addition, collection of large scale data on the usability of specific IT products is needed in order to complement smaller scale studies of specific systems.

Human skin dendritic cells in health and disease.

PubMed

Haniffa, Muzlifah; Gunawan, Merry; Jardine, Laura

2015-02-01

Dendritic cells (DCs) are specialized antigen presenting cells abundant in peripheral tissues such as skin where they function as immune sentinels. Skin DCs migrate to draining lymph node where they interact with naïve T cells to induce immune responses to microorganisms, vaccines, tumours and self-antigens. In this review, we present the key historical developments and recent advances in human skin DC research. We also integrate the current understanding on the origin and functional specializations of DC subsets in healthy skin with findings in inflammatory skin diseases focusing on psoriasis and atopic eczema. A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic changes in DC subsets in health and disease will form a strong foundation to facilitate the clinical translation of DC-based therapeutic and vaccination strategies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bioaccessibility, release kinetics, and molecular speciation of arsenic and lead in geo-dusts from the Iron King Mine Federal Superfund site in Humboldt, Arizona.

PubMed

Menka, Nazune; Root, Rob; Chorover, Jon

2014-01-01

Mine tailings contain multiple toxic metal(loid)s that pose a threat to human health via inhalation and ingestion. The goals of this research include understanding the speciation and molecular environment of these toxic metal(loid)s (arsenic and lead) as well as the impacts particle size and residence time have on their bioaccessibilty in simulated gastric and lung fluid. Additionally, future work will include smaller size fractions (PM10 and PM2.5) of surface mine tailings, with the goal of increasing our understanding of multi-metal release from contaminated geo-dusts in simulated bio-fluids. This research is important to environmental human health risk assessment as it increases the accuracy of exposure estimations to toxic metal(loid)s.

The coastal environment and human health: microbial indicators, pathogens, sentinels and reservoirs

PubMed Central

Stewart, Jill R; Gast, Rebecca J; Fujioka, Roger S; Solo-Gabriele, Helena M; Meschke, J Scott; Amaral-Zettler, Linda A; del Castillo, Erika; Polz, Martin F; Collier, Tracy K; Strom, Mark S; Sinigalliano, Christopher D; Moeller, Peter DR; Holland, A Fredrick

2008-01-01

Innovative research relating oceans and human health is advancing our understanding of disease-causing organisms in coastal ecosystems. Novel techniques are elucidating the loading, transport and fate of pathogens in coastal ecosystems, and identifying sources of contamination. This research is facilitating improved risk assessments for seafood consumers and those who use the oceans for recreation. A number of challenges still remain and define future directions of research and public policy. Sample processing and molecular detection techniques need to be advanced to allow rapid and specific identification of microbes of public health concern from complex environmental samples. Water quality standards need to be updated to more accurately reflect health risks and to provide managers with improved tools for decision-making. Greater discrimination of virulent versus harmless microbes is needed to identify environmental reservoirs of pathogens and factors leading to human infections. Investigations must include examination of microbial community dynamics that may be important from a human health perspective. Further research is needed to evaluate the ecology of non-enteric water-transmitted diseases. Sentinels should also be established and monitored, providing early warning of dangers to ecosystem health. Taken together, this effort will provide more reliable information about public health risks associated with beaches and seafood consumption, and how human activities can affect their exposure to disease-causing organisms from the oceans. PMID:19025674

Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda.

PubMed

Frumkin, Howard; Bratman, Gregory N; Breslow, Sara Jo; Cochran, Bobby; Kahn, Peter H; Lawler, Joshua J; Levin, Phillip S; Tandon, Pooja S; Varanasi, Usha; Wolf, Kathleen L; Wood, Spencer A

2017-07-31

At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. We propose a research agenda on nature contact and health, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions. We identify research questions in seven domains: a ) mechanistic biomedical studies; b ) exposure science; c ) epidemiology of health benefits; d ) diversity and equity considerations; e ) technological nature; f ) economic and policy studies; and g ) implementation science. Nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits. Although much evidence is already available, much remains unknown. A robust research effort, guided by a focus on key unanswered questions, has the potential to yield high-impact, consequential public health insights. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1663.

Nature Contact and Human Health: A Research Agenda

PubMed Central

Bratman, Gregory N.; Breslow, Sara Jo; Cochran, Bobby; Kahn Jr, Peter H.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Levin, Phillip S.; Tandon, Pooja S.; Varanasi, Usha; Wolf, Kathleen L.; Wood, Spencer A.

2017-01-01

Background: At a time of increasing disconnectedness from nature, scientific interest in the potential health benefits of nature contact has grown. Research in recent decades has yielded substantial evidence, but large gaps remain in our understanding. Objectives: We propose a research agenda on nature contact and health, identifying principal domains of research and key questions that, if answered, would provide the basis for evidence-based public health interventions. Discussion: We identify research questions in seven domains: a) mechanistic biomedical studies; b) exposure science; c) epidemiology of health benefits; d) diversity and equity considerations; e) technological nature; f) economic and policy studies; and g) implementation science. Conclusions: Nature contact may offer a range of human health benefits. Although much evidence is already available, much remains unknown. A robust research effort, guided by a focus on key unanswered questions, has the potential to yield high-impact, consequential public health insights. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP1663 PMID:28796634

Modeling human craniofacial disorders in Xenopus

PubMed Central

Dubey, Aditi; Saint-Jeannet, Jean-Pierre

2017-01-01

Purpose of Review Craniofacial disorders are among the most common human birth defects and present an enormous health care and social burden. The development of animal models has been instrumental to investigate fundamental questions in craniofacial biology and this knowledge is critical to understand the etiology and pathogenesis of these disorders. Recent findings The vast majority of craniofacial disorders arise from abnormal development of the neural crest, a multipotent and migratory cell population. Therefore, defining the pathogenesis of these conditions starts with a deep understanding of the mechanisms that preside over neural crest formation and its role in craniofacial development. Summary This review discusses several studies using Xenopus embryos to model human craniofacial conditions, and emphasizes the strength of this system to inform important biological processes as they relate to human craniofacial development and disease. PMID:28255527

Understanding the Effects of Mental Health on Reproductive Health Service Use: A Mixed Methods Approach

PubMed Central

Bell, Sue Anne; Lori, Jody; Redman, Richard; Seng, Julia

2016-01-01

Appropriate and woman-led health care for displaced women is essential to respecting basic human rights. In this paper, we describe the results of an analysis of the association between mental health and reproductive health service use from a sample of Congolese refugee women residing in short and long term camps in Rwanda, with a post-hoc qualitative potion added to expand upon the data-based results. Our findings suggest that structural factors including health policy initiatives affect or even inhibit individual care choices. PMID:26086238

Climate Change, Soils, and Human Health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, Eric C.

2013-04-01

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, global temperatures are expected to increase 1.1 to 6.4 degrees C during the 21st century and precipitation patterns will be altered by climate change (IPCC, 2007). Soils are intricately linked to the atmospheric/climate system through the carbon, nitrogen, and hydrologic cycles. Altered climate will, therefore, have an effect on soil processes and properties. Studies into the effects of climate change on soil processes and properties are still incomplete, but have revealed that climate change will impact soil organic matter dynamics including soil organisms and the multiple soil properties that are tied to organic matter, soil water, and soil erosion. The exact direction and magnitude of those impacts will be dependent on the amount of change in atmospheric gases, temperature, and precipitation amounts and patterns. Recent studies give reason to believe at least some soils may become net sources of atmospheric carbon as temperatures rise; this is particularly true of high latitude regions with permanently frozen soils. Soil erosion by both wind and water is also likely to increase. These soil changes will lead to both direct and indirect impacts on human health. Possible indirect impacts include temperature extremes, food safety and air quality issues, increased and/or expanded disease incidences, and occupational health issues. Potential direct impacts include decreased food security and increased atmospheric dust levels. However, there are still many things we need to know more about. How climate change will affect the nitrogen cycle and, in turn, how the nitrogen cycle will affect carbon sequestration in soils is a major research need, as is a better understanding of soil water-CO2 level-temperature relationships. Knowledge of the response of plants to elevated atmospheric CO2 given limitations in nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus and how that affects soil organic matter dynamics is a critical need. There is also a great need for a better understanding of how soil organisms will respond to climate change because those organisms are incredibly important in a number of soil processes, including the carbon and nitrogen cycles. All of these questions are important in trying to understand human health impacts. More information on climate change, soils, and human health issues can be found in Brevik (2012). References Brevik, E.C. 2012. Climate change, soils, and human health. In: E.C. Brevik and L. Burgess (Eds). Soils and human health. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. in press. IPCC. 2007. Summary for policymakers. pp. 1-18. In S. Solomon, D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds). Climate change 2007: the physical science basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

[Anthropology, ethnography, and narrative: intersecting paths in understanding the processes of health and sickness].

PubMed

Costa, Gabriela M C; Gualda, Dulce M R

2010-12-01

The article discusses anthropology, ethnographic method, and narrative as possible ways of coming to know subjects' experiences and the feelings they attribute to them. From an anthropological perspective, the sociocultural universe is taken as a point of reference in understanding the meaning of the processes of health and sickness, using a dense ethnographic description from an interpretivist analytical approach. In this context, narratives afford possible paths to understanding how subjective human experiences are shared and how behavior is organized, with a special focus on meaning, the process by which stories are produced, relations between narrator and other subjects, processes of knowledge, and the manifold ways in which experience can be captured.

Human rights of persons with mental disabilities. The European Convention of Human Rights.

PubMed

Gostin, L O

2000-01-01

It is not necessary to recount the numerous charters and declarations ... to understand human rights.... All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone ... is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the international human rights instruments without discrimination, such as the rights to life, liberty, security of the person, privacy, health, education, work, social security, and to marry and found a family. Yet, violations of human rights are a reality to be found in every corner of the globe.

Towards human exploration of space: the THESEUS review series on muscle and bone research priorities.

PubMed

Lang, Thomas; Van Loon, Jack J W A; Bloomfield, Susan; Vico, Laurence; Chopard, Angele; Rittweger, Joern; Kyparos, Antonios; Blottner, Dieter; Vuori, Ilkka; Gerzer, Rupert; Cavanagh, Peter R

2017-01-01

Without effective countermeasures, the musculoskeletal system is altered by the microgravity environment of long-duration spaceflight, resulting in atrophy of bone and muscle tissue, as well as in deficits in the function of cartilage, tendons, and vertebral disks. While inflight countermeasures implemented on the International Space Station have evidenced reduction of bone and muscle loss on low-Earth orbit missions of several months in length, important knowledge gaps must be addressed in order to develop effective strategies for managing human musculoskeletal health on exploration class missions well beyond Earth orbit. Analog environments, such as bed rest and/or isolation environments, may be employed in conjunction with large sample sizes to understand sex differences in countermeasure effectiveness, as well as interaction of exercise with pharmacologic, nutritional, immune system, sleep and psychological countermeasures. Studies of musculoskeletal biomechanics, involving both human subject and computer simulation studies, are essential to developing strategies to avoid bone fractures or other injuries to connective tissue during exercise and extravehicular activities. Animal models may be employed to understand effects of the space environment that cannot be modeled using human analog studies. These include studies of radiation effects on bone and muscle, unraveling the effects of genetics on bone and muscle loss, and characterizing the process of fracture healing in the mechanically unloaded and immuno-compromised spaceflight environment. In addition to setting the stage for evidence-based management of musculoskeletal health in long-duration space missions, the body of knowledge acquired in the process of addressing this array of scientific problems will lend insight into the understanding of terrestrial health conditions such as age-related osteoporosis and sarcopenia.

Nursing challenges for universal health coverage: a systematic review1

PubMed Central

Schveitzer, Mariana Cabral; Zoboli, Elma Lourdes Campos Pavone; Vieira, Margarida Maria da Silva

2016-01-01

Objectives to identify nursing challenges for universal health coverage, based on the findings of a systematic review focused on the health workforce' understanding of the role of humanization practices in Primary Health Care. Method systematic review and meta-synthesis, from the following information sources: PubMed, CINAHL, Scielo, Web of Science, PsycInfo, SCOPUS, DEDALUS and Proquest, using the keyword Primary Health Care associated, separately, with the following keywords: humanization of assistance, holistic care/health, patient centred care, user embracement, personal autonomy, holism, attitude of health personnel. Results thirty studies between 1999-2011. Primary Health Care work processes are complex and present difficulties for conducting integrative care, especially for nursing, but humanizing practices have showed an important role towards the development of positive work environments, quality of care and people-centered care by promoting access and universal health coverage. Conclusions nursing challenges for universal health coverage are related to education and training, to better working conditions and clear definition of nursing role in primary health care. It is necessary to overcome difficulties such as fragmented concepts of health and care and invest in multidisciplinary teamwork, community empowerment, professional-patient bond, user embracement, soft technologies, to promote quality of life, holistic care and universal health coverage. PMID:27143536

Working across the veterinary and human health sectors.

PubMed

Garcia-Alvarez, Laura; Dawson, Susan; Cookson, Barry; Hawkey, Peter

2012-07-01

Antibiotics are widely used in human and veterinary medicine for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This practice has led to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in both humans and animals. The potential role that animals, particularly livestock, might play as potential reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes has been recognized, and it is currently a cause of public health concern. The impact of animal and human antibiotic usage on the emergence and persistence of resistant bacteria and the precise transfer pathways for resistance genes between humans and animals are not currently fully understood. As part of the remit of the UK Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare-Associated Infection (ARHAI), two main areas were addressed, namely methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, where both the human and veterinary health sectors share interests. We review the current knowledge of MRSA and resistant Gram-negative bacteria, and provide guidance on occupational risks for veterinary healthcare workers relating to animals infected or colonized with MRSA. Findings and recommendations for further work across disciplines and future research in multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria are also presented. Working collaboratively across disciplines is essential in order to better understand and challenge an important human and animal health problem: antimicrobial resistance.

Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Human Connectome Project: Current Status and Relevance to Understanding Psychopathology.

PubMed

Barch, Deanna M

A key tenet of modern psychiatry is that psychiatric disorders arise from abnormalities in brain circuits that support human behavior. Our ability to examine hypotheses around circuit-level abnormalities in psychiatric disorders has been made possible by advances in human neuroimaging technologies. These advances have provided the basis for recent efforts to develop a more complex understanding of the function of brain circuits in health and of their relationship to behavior-providing, in turn, a foundation for our understanding of how disruptions in such circuits contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders. This review focuses on the use of resting-state functional connectivity MRI to assess brain circuits, on the advances generated by the Human Connectome Project, and on how these advances potentially contribute to understanding neural circuit dysfunction in psychopathology. The review gives particular attention to the methods developed by the Human Connectome Project that may be especially relevant to studies of psychopathology; it outlines some of the key findings about what constitutes a brain region; and it highlights new information about the nature and stability of brain circuits. Some of the Human Connectome Project's new findings particularly relevant to psychopathology-about neural circuits and their relationships to behavior-are also presented. The review ends by discussing the extension of Human Connectome Project methods across the lifespan and into manifest illness. Potential treatment implications are also considered.

Planet Earth, Humans, Gravity and Their Connection to Natural Medicine-Essence from a 5000 Yrs Old Ancient Pedagogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmanan, S.; Monsanto, C.; Radjendirane, B.

2015-12-01

According to the Ancient Indian Science, the fundamental constituents of planet earth are the five elements (Solid, Liquid, Heat, Air and Akash (subtlest energy field)). The same five elements constitute the human body. The Chinese and many other native traditions have used their deep understanding of these elements to live in balance with the planet. David Suzuki has elaborated on this key issue in his classic book, The Legacy: "Today we are in a state of crisis, and we must join together to respond to that crisis. If we do so, Suzuki envisions a future in which we understand that we are the Earth and live accordingly. All it takes is imagination and a determination to live within our, and the planet's, means". Gravity, the common force that connects both the body and earth plays a major role in the metabolism as well as the autonomous function of different organs in the body. Gravity has a direct influence on the fruits and vegetables that are grown on the planet as well. As a result, there is a direct relationship among gravity, food and human health. My talk will cover the missing link between the Earth's Gravity and the human health. A new set of ancient axioms will be used to address this and many other issues that are remain as "major unsolved problems" linking modern Geophysical and Health sciences.

Genome-wide association studies in Africans and African Americans: Expanding the Framework of the Genomics of Human Traits and Disease

PubMed Central

Peprah, Emmanuel; Xu, Huichun; Tekola-Ayele, Fasil; Royal, Charmaine D.

2014-01-01

Genomic research is one of the tools for elucidating the pathogenesis of diseases of global health relevance, and paving the research dimension to clinical and public health translation. Recent advances in genomic research and technologies have increased our understanding of human diseases, genes associated with these disorders, and the relevant mechanisms. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have proliferated since the first studies were published several years ago, and have become an important tool in helping researchers comprehend human variation and the role genetic variants play in disease. However, the need to expand the diversity of populations in GWAS has become increasingly apparent as new knowledge is gained about genetic variation. Inclusion of diverse populations in genomic studies is critical to a more complete understanding of human variation and elucidation of the underpinnings of complex diseases. In this review, we summarize the available data on GWAS in recent-African ancestry populations within the western hemisphere (i.e. African Americans and peoples of the Caribbean) and continental African populations. Furthermore, we highlight ways in which genomic studies in populations of recent African ancestry have led to advances in the areas of malaria, HIV, prostate cancer, and other diseases. Finally, we discuss the advantages of conducting GWAS in recent African ancestry populations in the context of addressing existing and emerging global health conditions. PMID:25427668

National Forest Health Monitoring Program, Urban Forests Of Wisconsin: Pilot Monitoring Project 2002

Treesearch

Anne Buckelew Cumming; David Nowak; Daniel Twardus; Robert Hoehn; Manfred Mielke; Richard Rideout

2007-01-01

Trees in cities can contribute significantly to human health and environmental quality. Unfortunately, little is known about the urban forest resource and what it contributes locally, regionally, and nationally in terms of ecology, economy, and social well-being. To better understand this resource and its values, the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture,...

The Patient's Right to Clear Communications in Health and Mental Health Delivery Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shuy, Roger W.

Persons from minority groups often are at a linguistic disadvantage in (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 22, 1975) the language and culture of the physician or psychoanalyst, who may be unaware of problems of understanding. Patients have certain language rights in medical care. (1) The right to human dignity in the medical relationship is…

Making a human right to tobacco control: expert and advocacy networks, framing and the right to health.

PubMed

Reubi, David

2012-01-01

This article addresses the proliferation of human rights in international public health over the last 20 years by examining recent attempts at framing the global smoking epidemic as a human rights problem. Rather than advocating in favour or against human rights-based approaches, the article purports to understand how and why such approaches are being articulated and disseminated. First, it argues that the representation of the global smoking epidemic as a human rights issue has been the product of a small, international network of public health experts and lawyers: the human rights and tobacco control collective or community (HTC). The article describes in particular the HTC's membership, its style of thinking and its efforts to articulate and disseminate human rights-based approaches to tobacco control. Second, the article argues that the aim of the HTC when framing tobacco control as a human rights issue was not to generate public attention for and the political will to tackle the global smoking epidemic, as the literature on framing and human rights presupposes. Instead, as the article shows, the HTC framed tobacco control as a human rights problem to tap into the powerful, judicial monitoring and enforceability mechanisms that make up international human rights.

Trust: the sublime duty in health care leadership.

PubMed

Piper, Llewellyn E

2010-01-01

Trust is the essence of human social existence. From the moment of birth, trust is the basic component in any human relationship and interaction. Trust is the Holy Grail for human confidence in others. From human survival to organizational survival, trust is the primordial bond. No organization is more dependent on trust than health care. This article views trust as the most basic fundamental quality for leadership. Trust is a sublime duty of a leader and the leadership of an organization. Leadership sets the culture of trust. Trust is the one quality that is essential for guiding an organization toward serving others. This article addresses trust from many perspectives. Trust is viewed from our subordinates, our peers, our superiors, and the public we serve. This article postulates how trust in an organization is the sublime duty of leadership that unites all human understanding and without it destroys all human relationships.

Psychoactive substances and the political ecology of mental distress

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The goal of this paper is to both understand and depathologize clinically significant mental distress related to criminalized contact with psychoactive biotic substances by employing a framework known as critical political ecology of health and disease from the subdiscipline of medical geography. The political ecology of disease framework joins disease ecology with the power-calculus of political economy and calls for situating health-related phenomena in their broad social and economic context, demonstrating how large-scale global processes are at work at the local level, and giving due attention to historical analysis in understanding the relevant human-environment relations. Critical approaches to the political ecology of health and disease have the potential to incorporate ever-broadening social, political, economic, and cultural factors to challenge traditional causes, definitions, and sociomedical understandings of disease. Inspired by the patient-centered medical diagnosis critiques in medical geography, this paper will use a critical political ecology of disease approach to challenge certain prevailing sociomedical interpretations of disease, or more specifically, mental disorder, found in the field of substance abuse diagnostics and the related American punitive public policy regimes of substance abuse prevention and control, with regards to the use of biotic substances. It will do this by first critically interrogating the concept of "substances" and grounding them in an ecological context, reviewing the history of both the development of modern substance control laws and modern substance abuse diagnostics, and understanding the biogeographic dimensions of such approaches. It closes with proposing a non-criminalizing public health approach for regulating human close contact with psychoactive substances using the example of cannabis use. PMID:22257499

Understanding mental health through reading selected literature sources: an evaluation.

PubMed

McKie, A; Gass, J P

2001-04-01

The increasing use of the humanities in nurse education provides an alternative means of facilitating students' understanding of health issues. In part, this contributes to a critique of rationalist-technological approaches to education where knowledge is reduced to abstract, discernable and measured units. A more communal approach to education recognises the place of interpretation as part of learning and, within this, the significance of dialogue, identity, tradition, attachment and partnership. The reading of works of literature is one way in which the reader interprets texts in a multiplicity of ways in order to more fully understand the 'real' world. Mental health offers particular opportunities for literary descriptions. The evaluation of a learning unit within a mental health nursing branch programme where students read a number of works of literature is outlined. Results indicate a variety of student responses to use of such an approach. The authors assert the usefulness of these approaches in encouraging deeper understanding of complex issues faced in mental health nursing practice. At the same time, however, careful consideration is given to the place of such approaches within the overall philosophy of a curriculum programme. Copyright 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

The neuroethology of friendship.

PubMed

Brent, Lauren J N; Chang, Steve W C; Gariépy, Jean-François; Platt, Michael L

2014-05-01

Friendship pervades the human social landscape. These bonds are so important that disrupting them leads to health problems, and difficulties forming or maintaining friendships attend neuropsychiatric disorders like autism and depression. Other animals also have friends, suggesting that friendship is not solely a human invention but is instead an evolved trait. A neuroethological approach applies behavioral, neurobiological, and molecular techniques to explain friendship with reference to its underlying mechanisms, development, evolutionary origins, and biological function. Recent studies implicate a shared suite of neural circuits and neuromodulatory pathways in the formation, maintenance, and manipulation of friendships across humans and other animals. Health consequences and reproductive advantages in mammals additionally suggest that friendship has adaptive benefits. We argue that understanding the neuroethology of friendship in humans and other animals brings us closer to knowing fully what it means to be human. © 2013 New York Academy of Sciences.

The neuroethology of friendship

PubMed Central

Brent, Lauren J.N.; Chang, Steve W.C.; Gariépy, Jean-François; Platt, Michael L.

2014-01-01

Friendship pervades the human social landscape. These bonds are so important that disrupting them leads to health problems, and difficulties forming or maintaining friendships attend neuropsychiatric disorders like autism and depression. Other animals also have friends, suggesting that friendship is not solely a human invention but is instead an evolved trait. A neuroethological approach applies behavioral, neurobiological, and molecular techniques to explain friendship in terms of its underlying mechanisms, development, evolutionary origins, and biological function. Recent studies implicate a shared suite of neural circuits and neuromodulatory pathways in the formation, maintenance, and manipulation of friendships across humans and other animals. Health consequences and reproductive advantages in mammals additionally suggest that friendship has adaptive benefits. We argue that understanding the neuroethology of friendship in humans and other animals brings us closer to knowing fully what it means to be human. PMID:24329760

Gut Microbiota and Salivary Diagnostics: The Mouth Is Salivating to Tell Us Something.

PubMed

Kodukula, Krishna; Faller, Douglas V; Harpp, David N; Kanara, Iphigenia; Pernokas, Julie; Pernokas, Mark; Powers, Whitney R; Soukos, Nikolaos S; Steliou, Kosta; Moos, Walter H

2017-01-01

The microbiome of the human body represents a symbiosis of microbial networks spanning multiple organ systems. Bacteria predominantly represent the diversity of human microbiota, but not to be forgotten are fungi, viruses, and protists. Mounting evidence points to the fact that the "microbial signature" is host-specific and relatively stable over time. As our understanding of the human microbiome and its relationship to the health of the host increases, it is becoming clear that many and perhaps most chronic conditions have a microbial involvement. The oral and gastrointestinal tract microbiome constitutes the bulk of the overall human microbial load, and thus presents unique opportunities for advancing human health prognosis, diagnosis, and therapy development. This review is an attempt to catalog a broad diversity of recent evidence and focus it toward opportunities for prevention and treatment of debilitating illnesses.

The human gut microbiota and its interactive connections to diet.

PubMed

Milani, C; Ferrario, C; Turroni, F; Duranti, S; Mangifesta, M; van Sinderen, D; Ventura, M

2016-10-01

The microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in human health. In addition to their metabolic interactions with dietary constituents, gut bacteria may also be involved in more complex host interactions, such as modulation of the immune system. Furthermore, the composition of the gut microbiota may be important in reducing the risk of contracting particular gut infections. Changes in the microbiota during an individual's lifespan are accompanied by modifications in multiple health parameters, and such observations have prompted intense scientific efforts aiming to understand the complex interactions between the microbiota and its human host, as well as how this may be influenced by diet. © 2016 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Human Microbiome and HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Li, Yihong; Yang, Liying; Pei, Zhiheng; Poles, Michael; Abrams, William R.; Malamud, Daniel

2013-01-01

Understanding of the human microbiome continues to grow rapidly; however, reports on changes in the microbiome after HIV infection are still limited. This review surveys the progress made in methodology associated with microbiome studies and highlights the remaining challenges to this field. Studies have shown that commensal oral, gut, vaginal, and penile bacteria are vital to the health of the human immune system. Our studies on crosstalk among oral and gastrointestinal soluble innate factors, HIV, and microbes indicated that the oral and gut microbiome was altered in the HIV-positive samples compared to the negative controls. The importance of understanding the bacterial component of HIV/AIDS, and likelihood of “crosstalk” between viral and bacterial pathogens, will help in understanding the role of the microbiome in HIV-infected individuals and facilitate identification of novel antiretroviral factors for use as novel diagnostics, microbicides, or therapeutics against HIV infection. PMID:22193889

76 FR 19257 - National Cancer Control Month, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-06

... Department of Health and Human Services, is tasked with outlining national objectives and benchmarks to... family member or friend, and too many of us understand the terrible toll of this disease. In memory of...

Studying Genes

MedlinePlus

... also study the genes of bacteria, viruses and fungi to find ways to prevent or treat infection. Increasingly, these studies are helping them understand how microbes on and in the body affect human health, sometimes in beneficial ways. What types ...

The US national antimicrobial resistance monitoring system.

PubMed

Gilbert, Jeffrey M; White, David G; McDermott, Patrick F

2007-10-01

The use of antimicrobial agents in food animals can select for resistant bacterial pathogens that may be transmitted to humans via the commercial meat supply. In the USA, the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine regulatory duties require a determination that antimicrobial drugs are safe and effective for use in food animals. In addition, a qualitative assessment of risks to human health from antimicrobial resistance requires development. This risk assessment process is supported by data generated by the FDA's National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) for enteric bacteria. NARMS data on antimicrobial susceptibility among Salmonella, Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus is collected. Research activities defining the genetic bases of resistance helps to understand the potential public health risks posed by the spread of antimicrobial resistance from food animal antimicrobial use. These activities help insure that antimicrobials are used judiciously to promote human and animal health.

Persistence as the path from motivation to performance in the Papua New Guinea health sector.

PubMed

Elich, Luke

2009-01-01

This paper considers how the individual capacity states of motivation, confidence, skill and ability relate to performance, and identifies a crucial role for the discretionary behaviour of individuals: specifically, employee persistence and innovation. The study Understanding the people and performance link: unlocking the black box undertaken by Purcell and colleagues is relied upon in constructing a theoretical framework for the conceptual interrelationships between performance and the human-resource-mediating variables, which is then applied within the Papua New Guinea (PNG) health sector context. The study by Purcell and colleagues, which was informed by organizations with well-developed and functioning human resource policies and practices, is distinguished from the PNG health sector, where human resource frameworks are largely ineffective--yet it is determined that the importance of 'discretionary behaviour' relative to performance, whilst varied, is undiminished.

The public health impact of avian influenza viruses.

PubMed

Katz, J M; Veguilla, V; Belser, J A; Maines, T R; Van Hoeven, N; Pappas, C; Hancock, K; Tumpey, T M

2009-04-01

Influenza viruses with novel hemagglutinin and 1 or more accompanying genes derived from avian influenza viruses sporadically emerge in humans and have the potential to result in a pandemic if the virus causes disease and spreads efficiently in a population that lacks immunity to the novel hemagglutinin. Since 1997, multiple avian influenza virus subtypes have been transmitted directly from domestic poultry to humans and have caused a spectrum of human disease, from asymptomatic to severe and fatal. To assess the pandemic risk that avian influenza viruses pose, we have used multiple strategies to better understand the capacity of avian viruses to infect, cause disease, and transmit among mammals, including humans. Seroepidemiologic studies that evaluate the frequency and risk of human infection with avian influenza viruses in populations with exposure to domestic or wild birds can provide a better understanding of the pandemic potential of avian influenza subtypes. Investigations conducted in Hong Kong following the first H5N1 outbreak in humans in 1997 determined that exposure to poultry in live bird markets was a key risk factor for human disease. Among poultry workers, butchering and exposure to sick poultry were risk factors for antibody to H5 virus, which provided evidence for infection. A second risk assessment tool, the ferret, can be used to evaluate the level of virulence and potential for host-to-host transmission of avian influenza viruses in this naturally susceptible host. Avian viruses isolated from humans exhibit a level of virulence and transmissibility in ferrets that generally reflects that seen in humans. The ferret model thus provides a means to monitor emerging avian influenza viruses for pandemic risk, as well as to evaluate laboratory-generated reassortants and mutants to better understand the molecular basis of influenza virus transmissibility. Taken together, such studies provide valuable information with which we can assess the public health risk of avian influenza viruses.

The toxicology of inhaled woodsmoke.

PubMed

Zelikoff, Judith T; Chen, Lung Chi; Cohen, Mitchell D; Schlesinger, Richard B

2002-01-01

In addition to developing nations relying almost exclusively upon biomass fuels, such as wood for cooking and home heating, North Americans, particularly in Canada and the northwestern and northeastern sections of the United States, have increasingly turned to woodburning as an alternate method for domestic heating because of increasing energy costs. As a result, the number of households using woodburning devices has increased dramatically. This has resulted in an increase in public exposure to indoor and outdoor woodsmoke-associated pollutants, which has prompted widespread concern about the adverse human health consequences that may be associated with prolonged woodsmoke exposure. This mini-review article brings together many of the human and animal studies performed over the last three decades in an attempt to better define the toxicological impact of inhaled woodsmoke on exposed children and adults; particular attention is given to effects upon the immune system. General information regarding occurrence and woodsmoke chemistry is provided so as to set the stage for a better understanding of the toxicological impact. It can be concluded from this review that exposure to woodsmoke, particularly for children, represents a potential health hazard. However, despite its widespread occurrence and apparent human health risks, relatively few studies have focused upon this particular area of research. More laboratory studies aimed at understanding the effects and underlying mechanisms of woodsmoke exposure, particularly on those individuals deemed to be at greatest risk, are badly needed, so that precise human health risks can be defined, appropriate regulatory standards can be set, and accurate decisions can be made concerning the use of current and new woodburning devices.

Sounding the Alarm: Health in the Anthropocene.

PubMed

Butler, Colin D

2016-06-30

There is growing scientific and public recognition that human actions, directly and indirectly, have profoundly changed the Earth system, in a still accelerating process, increasingly called the "Anthropocene". Planetary transformation, including of the atmosphere, climate, ecosystems and biodiversity, has enormous implications for human health, many of which are deeply disturbing, especially in low-income settings. A few health consequences of the Anthropocene have been partially recognized, including within environmental epidemiology, but their long-term consequences remain poorly understood and greatly under-rated. For example Syria could be a "sentinel" population, giving a glimpse to a much wider dystopian future. Health-Earth is a research network, co-founded in 2014, which seeks, with other groups, to catalyse a powerful curative response by the wider health community. This paper builds on a symposium presented by Health-Earth members at the 2015 conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. It reviews and synthesizes parts of the large literature relevant to the interaction between the changing Earth system and human health. It concludes that this topic should be prominent within future environmental epidemiology and public health. Created by our species, these challenges may be soluble, but solutions require far more understanding and resources than are currently being made available.

Transdisciplinary and Community Literacies: Shifting Discourses and Practices through New Paradigms of Public Scholarship and Action-Oriented Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Licona, Adela C.; Russell, Stephen T.

2013-01-01

According to the Ford Foundation, "a deeper understanding of human sexuality is an essential element of human rights and healthy social relationships." Beginning with this assumption, we seek to be informed by and to inform policies and local practices; to initiate broad conversations that address sexual health and healthy sexualities…

Race as Biology Is Fiction, Racism as a Social Problem Is Real: Anthropological and Historical Perspectives on the Social Construction of Race

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smedley, Audrey; Smedley, Brian D.

2005-01-01

Racialized science seeks to explain human population differences in health, intelligence, education, and wealth as the consequence of immutable, biologically based differences between "racial" groups. Recent advances in the sequencing of the human genome and in an understanding of biological correlates of behavior have fueled racialized science,…

Analysis of the Approach to Parasitic Cycles in Brazilian Science Textbooks as a Tool for Education in Health and Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simplicio, Nathan D. C. S.; Cordova, Bianca C.; Oliveira-Filho, Eduardo C.

2016-01-01

Modifying the environment is a characteristic of the human species. With deforestation and the expansion of urban centers, diseases known in animals have begun to be described in humans. Science textbooks constitute an instrument of great importance in understanding this issue. This study evaluated the main science textbooks, recommended by the…

Do Cryptic Reservoirs Threaten Gambiense-Sleeping Sickness Elimination?

PubMed

Büscher, Philippe; Bart, Jean-Mathieu; Boelaert, Marleen; Bucheton, Bruno; Cecchi, Giuliano; Chitnis, Nakul; Courtin, David; Figueiredo, Luisa M; Franco, José-Ramon; Grébaut, Pascal; Hasker, Epco; Ilboudo, Hamidou; Jamonneau, Vincent; Koffi, Mathurin; Lejon, Veerle; MacLeod, Annette; Masumu, Justin; Matovu, Enock; Mattioli, Raffaele; Noyes, Harry; Picado, Albert; Rock, Kat S; Rotureau, Brice; Simo, Gustave; Thévenon, Sophie; Trindade, Sandra; Truc, Philippe; Van Reet, Nick

2018-03-01

Trypanosoma brucei gambiense causes human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Between 1990 and 2015, almost 440000 cases were reported. Large-scale screening of populations at risk, drug donations, and efforts by national and international stakeholders have brought the epidemic under control with <2200 cases in 2016. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set the goals of gambiense-HAT elimination as a public health problem for 2020, and of interruption of transmission to humans for 2030. Latent human infections and possible animal reservoirs may challenge these goals. It remains largely unknown whether, and to what extend, they have an impact on gambiense-HAT transmission. We argue that a better understanding of the contribution of human and putative animal reservoirs to gambiense-HAT epidemiology is mandatory to inform elimination strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A decision-directed approach for prioritizing research into the impact of nanomaterials on the environment and human health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linkov, Igor; Bates, Matthew E.; Canis, Laure J.; Seager, Thomas P.; Keisler, Jeffrey M.

2011-12-01

The emergence of nanotechnology has coincided with an increased recognition of the need for new approaches to understand and manage the impact of emerging technologies on the environment and human health. Important elements in these new approaches include life-cycle thinking, public participation and adaptive management of the risks associated with emerging technologies and new materials. However, there is a clear need to develop a framework for linking research on the risks associated with nanotechnology to the decision-making needs of manufacturers, regulators, consumers and other stakeholder groups. Given the very high uncertainties associated with nanomaterials and their impact on the environment and human health, research resources should be directed towards creating the knowledge that is most meaningful to these groups. Here, we present a model (based on multi-criteria decision analysis and a value of information approach) for prioritizing research strategies in a way that is responsive to the recommendations of recent reports on the management of the risk and impact of nanomaterials on the environment and human health.

The impact of globalization on public health: implications for the UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine.

PubMed

Lee, K

2000-09-01

There has been substantial discussion of globalization in the scholarly and popular press yet limited attention so far among public health professionals. This is so despite the many potential impacts of globalization on public health. Defining public health broadly, as focused on the collective health of populations requiring a range of intersectoral activities, globalization can be seen to have particular relevance. Globalization, in turn, can be defined as a process that is changing the nature of human interaction across a wide range of spheres and along at least three dimensions. Understanding public health and globalization in these ways suggests the urgent need for research to better understand the linkages between the two, and effective policy responses by a range of public health institutions, including the UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine. The paper is based on a review of secondary literature on globalization that led to the development of a conceptual framework for understanding potential impacts on the determinants of health and public health. The paper then discusses major areas of public health in relation to these potential impacts. It concludes with recommendations on how the UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine might contribute to addressing these impacts through its various activities. Although there is growing attention to the importance of globalization to public health, there has been limited research and policy development in the United Kingdom. The UK Faculty of Public Health Medicine needs to play an active role in bringing relevant issues to the attention of policy makers, and encourage its members to take up research, teaching and policy initiatives. The potential impacts of globalization support a broader understanding and practice of public health that embraces a wide range of health determinants.

U.S. Geological Survey Science at the Intersection of Health and Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimball, S. M.; Plumlee, G. S.

2016-12-01

People worldwide worry about how their environment affects their health, and expect scientists to help address these concerns. The OneHealth concept recognizes the crucial linkages between environment, human health, and health of other organisms. Many US Geological Survey science activities directly examine or help inform how the Earth and the environment influence toxicological and infectious diseases. Key is our ability to bring to bear a collective expertise in environmental processes, geology, hydrology, hazards, microbiology, analytical chemistry, ecosystems, energy/mineral resources, geospatial technologies, and other disciplines. Our science examines sources, environmental transport and fate, biological effects, and human exposure pathways of many microbial (e.g. bacteria, protozoans, viruses, fungi), inorganic (e.g. asbestos, arsenic, lead, mercury) and organic (e.g. algal toxins, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) contaminants from geologic, anthropogenic, and disaster sources. We develop new laboratory, experimental, and field methods to analyze, model, and map contaminants, to determine their baseline and natural background levels, and to measure their biological effects. We examine the origins, environmental persistence, wildlife effects, and potential for transmission to humans of pathogens that cause zoonotic or vector-borne diseases (e.g., avian influenza or West Nile virus). Collaborations with human health scientists from many organizations are essential. For example, our work with epidemiologists and toxicologists helps understand the exposure pathways and roles of geologically sourced toxicants such as arsenic (via drinking water) and asbestos (via dusts) in cancer. Work with pulmonologists and pathologists helps clarify the sources and fate of inhaled mineral particles in lungs. Wildlife health scientists help human health scientists assess animals as sentinels of human disease. Such transdisciplinary science is essential at the intersection of health and environment.

Linking the oceans to public health: current efforts and future directions

PubMed Central

Kite-Powell, Hauke L; Fleming, Lora E; Backer, Lorraine C; Faustman, Elaine M; Hoagland, Porter; Tsuchiya, Ami; Younglove, Lisa R; Wilcox, Bruce A; Gast, Rebecca J

2008-01-01

We review the major linkages between the oceans and public health, focusing on exposures and potential health effects due to anthropogenic and natural factors including: harmful algal blooms, microbes, and chemical pollutants in the oceans; consumption of seafood; and flooding events. We summarize briefly the current state of knowledge about public health effects and their economic consequences; and we discuss priorities for future research. We find that: • There are numerous connections between the oceans, human activities, and human health that result in both positive and negative exposures and health effects (risks and benefits); and the study of these connections comprises a new interdisciplinary area, "oceans and human health." • The state of present knowledge about the linkages between oceans and public health varies. Some risks, such as the acute health effects caused by toxins associated with shellfish poisoning and red tide, are relatively well understood. Other risks, such as those posed by chronic exposure to many anthropogenic chemicals, pathogens, and naturally occurring toxins in coastal waters, are less well quantified. Even where there is a good understanding of the mechanism for health effects, good epidemiological data are often lacking. Solid data on economic and social consequences of these linkages are also lacking in most cases. • The design of management measures to address these risks must take into account the complexities of human response to warnings and other guidance, and the economic tradeoffs among different risks and benefits. Future research in oceans and human health to address public health risks associated with marine pathogens and toxins, and with marine dimensions of global change, should include epidemiological, behavioral, and economic components to ensure that resulting management measures incorporate effective economic and risk/benefit tradeoffs. PMID:19025677

Linking the oceans to public health: current efforts and future directions.

PubMed

Kite-Powell, Hauke L; Fleming, Lora E; Backer, Lorraine C; Faustman, Elaine M; Hoagland, Porter; Tsuchiya, Ami; Younglove, Lisa R; Wilcox, Bruce A; Gast, Rebecca J

2008-11-07

We review the major linkages between the oceans and public health, focusing on exposures and potential health effects due to anthropogenic and natural factors including: harmful algal blooms, microbes, and chemical pollutants in the oceans; consumption of seafood; and flooding events. We summarize briefly the current state of knowledge about public health effects and their economic consequences; and we discuss priorities for future research.We find that:* There are numerous connections between the oceans, human activities, and human health that result in both positive and negative exposures and health effects (risks and benefits); and the study of these connections comprises a new interdisciplinary area, "oceans and human health."* The state of present knowledge about the linkages between oceans and public health varies. Some risks, such as the acute health effects caused by toxins associated with shellfish poisoning and red tide, are relatively well understood. Other risks, such as those posed by chronic exposure to many anthropogenic chemicals, pathogens, and naturally occurring toxins in coastal waters, are less well quantified. Even where there is a good understanding of the mechanism for health effects, good epidemiological data are often lacking. Solid data on economic and social consequences of these linkages are also lacking in most cases.* The design of management measures to address these risks must take into account the complexities of human response to warnings and other guidance, and the economic tradeoffs among different risks and benefits. Future research in oceans and human health to address public health risks associated with marine pathogens and toxins, and with marine dimensions of global change, should include epidemiological, behavioral, and economic components to ensure that resulting management measures incorporate effective economic and risk/benefit tradeoffs.

Coping strategies, mental health and HIV status: Predictors of suicidal behaviour among PWIDs.

PubMed

Akram, Bushra; Ilyas, Mubeen

2017-04-01

To understand suicidal behaviour among people who inject drugs. This correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted in two Pakistani cities of Gujrat and Jhelum from October 2015 to March 2016, and comprised male injecting-drug users aged18-60 years. Multistage systematic random sampling method was used. Urdu-translated versions of the brief cope inventory, mental health status scale and suicidal behaviour questionnaire (revised) were administered. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. Of the 200 participants, 83(41.5%) were aged 26-32 years. The prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus was in 94(47%) cases. Suicidal behaviour was positively associated with psychological distress and human immunodeficiency virus status (p<0.05), whereas it was negatively associated with mental health, psychological well-being and coping strategies (p<0.05). Regression analysis showed mental health index and psychological well-being were negative predictors, whereas psychological distress and human immunodeficiency virus status were positive predictors of suicidal behaviour among the participants (p<0.05). The level of stress led people who inject drugs towards suicidal behaviour. However, the level of stress varied according to the severity of human immunodeficiency virus and poor mental health.

Understanding global tropospheric ozone and its impacts on human health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

West, J. J.

2017-12-01

Ozone is an important air pollutant for human health, one that has proven difficult to manage locally, nationally, and globally. Here I will present research on global ozone and its impacts on human health, highlighting several studies from my lab over the past decade. I will discuss the drivers of global tropospheric ozone, and the importance of the equatorward shift of emissions over recent decades. I will review estimates of the global burden of ozone on premature mortality, the contributions of different emission sectors to that burden, estimates of how the ozone health burden will change in the future under the Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios, and estimates of the contribution of projected climate change to ozone-related deaths. I will also discuss the importance of the intercontinental transport of ozone, and of methane as a driver of global ozone, from the human health perspective. I will present estimates of trends in the ozone mortality burden in the United States since 1990. Finally, I will discuss our project currently underway to estimate global ozone concentrations at the surface based on data gathered by the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report, combined statistically with atmospheric modeling results.

Understanding the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Physical Activity-Induced Health Benefits.

PubMed

Neufer, P Darrell; Bamman, Marcas M; Muoio, Deborah M; Bouchard, Claude; Cooper, Dan M; Goodpaster, Bret H; Booth, Frank W; Kohrt, Wendy M; Gerszten, Robert E; Mattson, Mark P; Hepple, Russell T; Kraus, William E; Reid, Michael B; Bodine, Sue C; Jakicic, John M; Fleg, Jerome L; Williams, John P; Joseph, Lyndon; Evans, Mary; Maruvada, Padma; Rodgers, Mary; Roary, Mary; Boyce, Amanda T; Drugan, Jonelle K; Koenig, James I; Ingraham, Richard H; Krotoski, Danuta; Garcia-Cazarin, Mary; McGowan, Joan A; Laughlin, Maren R

2015-07-07

The beneficial effects of physical activity (PA) are well documented, yet the mechanisms by which PA prevents disease and improves health outcomes are poorly understood. To identify major gaps in knowledge and potential strategies for catalyzing progress in the field, the NIH convened a workshop in late October 2014 entitled "Understanding the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Physical Activity-Induced Health Benefits." Presentations and discussions emphasized the challenges imposed by the integrative and intermittent nature of PA, the tremendous discovery potential of applying "-omics" technologies to understand interorgan crosstalk and biological networking systems during PA, and the need to establish an infrastructure of clinical trial sites with sufficient expertise to incorporate mechanistic outcome measures into adequately sized human PA trials. Identification of the mechanisms that underlie the link between PA and improved health holds extraordinary promise for discovery of novel therapeutic targets and development of personalized exercise medicine. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Role of Plastics on Human Health.

PubMed

Kumar, Pramod

2018-05-01

Plastics, currently the universal workhorse materials of modern economy, because of their low cost and varied functional properties are posing serious threat to environment and consumer's health in many direct and indirect ways. Rising concern about the impact of plastics on environment and human health, has forced the industry to look for alternatives. This review studies current understanding of benefits and concerns surrounding use of plastics, reviews literature about health effects in humans and discusses the current state of evidence, as well as future research trends. There is increasing concern regarding additives in plastics to which most people are exposed, such as phthalates, bisphenol A or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), and their detection in humans, leading to harmful impact on health. The studies are divided, among many other issues on the fact of considering these additives as carcinogens or toxicants, but there is a consensus that these chemicals have the ability to alter the endocrine system. Human data are limited compared to large body of experimental evidence documenting reproductive or developmental toxicity in relation to these compounds in animals. The concentrations of these additives in young children, a segment particularly sensitive to exogenous insults, are typically higher, indicating the need to decrease exposure to these compounds. The rapid increase in usage of plastics and increased awareness about its health hazard has lent urgency to the whole issue.

Functional MRI of the placenta – From rodents to humans

PubMed Central

Avni, R.; Neeman, M.; Garbow, J.R.

2015-01-01

The placenta performs a wide range of physiological functions; insufficiencies in these functions may result in a variety of severe prenatal and postnatal syndromes with long-term negative impacts on human adult health. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of placental function, in both animal models and humans, have contributed significantly to our understanding of placental structure, blood flow, oxygenation status, and metabolic profile, and have provided important insights into pregnancy complications. PMID:25916594

Qualitative environmental health research: an analysis of the literature, 1991-2008.

PubMed

Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen

2010-08-01

Recent articles have advocated for the use of qualitative methods in environmental health research. Qualitative research uses nonnumeric data to understand people's opinions, motives, understanding, and beliefs about events or phenomena. In this analysis of the literature, I report the use of qualitative methods and data in the study of the relationship between environmental exposures and human health. A primary search on ISI Web of Knowledge/Web of Science for peer-reviewed journal articles dated from 1991 through 2008 included the following three terms: qualitative, environ*, and health. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are described. Searches resulted in 3,155 records. Data were extracted and findings of articles analyzed to determine where and by whom qualitative environmental health research is conducted and published, the types of methods and analyses used in qualitative studies of environmental health, and the types of information qualitative data contribute to environmental health. Ninety-one articles met inclusion criteria. These articles were published in 58 different journals, with a maximum of eight for a single journal. The results highlight a diversity of disciplines and techniques among researchers who used qualitative methods to study environmental health, with most studies relying on one-on-one interviews. Details of the analyses were absent from a large number of studies. Nearly all of the studies identified increased scientific understanding of lay perceptions of environmental health exposures. Qualitative data are published in traditionally quantitative environmental health studies to a limited extent. However, this analysis demonstrates the potential of qualitative data to improve understanding of complex exposure pathways, including the influence of social factors on environmental health, and health outcomes.

REFLECTIVE PRACTICE IN ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNING, CULTURAL SELF-UNDERSTANDING, AND COMMUNITY SELF-STRENGTHENING.

PubMed

Sparrow, Joshua

2016-11-01

The infant mental health field can amplify its effects when it extends its purview beyond the dyad to the larger contexts in which infants and adult caregivers interact and develop over time. Within health, mental health, education, and other human service organizations, the quality of relationships is a critical variable in the individual-level outcomes that such organizations seek. The goals of this work and the means for accomplishing them are highly dependent on human qualities and interactions that are shaped by organizational processes. In communities, too, processes that shape relationships also strongly influence child-, family-, and community-level outcomes. The Touchpoints approach to reflective practice can guide relational processes among professionals, parents, and infants in organizations and communities that influence these outcomes. © 2016 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

GeoHealth: A Transdisciplinary Science Comes of Age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEntee, C.

2016-12-01

GeoHealth is a transdisciplinary research discipline that connects Earth and environmental sciences with ecosystem and human health sciences. Geohealth research advances both basic and solutions focused research to address global societal challenges in ecosystem and human health. Some of the areas being addressed by geohealth include toxic substances in water, atmosphere, and soil and their effect on human health and environmental health. Geohealth research has been underway for several decades; several examples of recent prominent research findings include identifying complex exposures to dust in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and a better understanding of toxic exposures from the Gulf oil spill and their health effects on humans and other species both on land and in water. Over the past decade, GeoHealth research output has grown significantly as evidenced by research output in both the volume of meeting abstracts and journal articles and by significant funding commitments by governmental funding agencies around the world. This presentation will provide an overview of scientific research areas encompassed in geohealth, data that demonstrate a nearly 50% increase in geohealth research output between 2010 and 2015, the double digit growth of geohealth research output in AGU meetings and journals, and which countries are currently leading in geohealth research output. An overview of government funding sources for geohealth research both within and outside the United States along with new AGU geohealth initiatives will also be presented.

Access to health care for undocumented migrant children and pregnant women: the paradox between values and attitudes of health care professionals.

PubMed

Ruiz-Casares, Mónica; Rousseau, Cécile; Laurin-Lamothe, Audrey; Rummens, Joanna Anneke; Zelkowitz, Phyllis; Crépeau, François; Steinmetz, Nicolas

2013-02-01

Access to health care for undocumented migrant children and pregnant women confronts human rights and professional values with political and institutional regulations that limit services. In order to understand how health care professionals deal with these diverging mandates, we assessed their attitudes toward providing care to this population. Clinicians, administrators, and support staff (n = 1,048) in hospitals and primary care centers of a large multiethnic city responded to an online survey about attitudes toward access to health care services. Analysis examined the role of personal and institutional correlates of these attitudes. Foreign-born respondents and those in primary care centers were more likely to assess the present access to care as a serious problem, and to endorse broad or full access to services, primarily based on human rights reasons. Clinicians were more likely than support staff to endorse full or broad access to health care services. Respondents who approved of restricted or no access also endorsed health as a basic human right (61.1%) and child development as a priority (68.6%). A wide gap separates attitudes toward entitlement to health care and the endorsement of principles stemming from human rights and the best interest of the child. Case-based discussions with professionals facing value dilemmas and training on children's rights are needed to promote equitable practices and advocacy against regulations limiting services.

Human rights barriers for displaced persons in southern Sudan.

PubMed

Pavlish, Carol; Ho, Anita

2009-01-01

This community-based research explores community perspectives on human rights barriers that women encounter in a postconflict setting of southern Sudan. An ethnographic design was used to guide data collection in five focus groups with community members and during in-depth interviews with nine key informants. A constant comparison method of data analysis was used. Atlas.ti data management software facilitated the inductive coding and sorting of data. Participants identified three formal and one set of informal community structures for human rights. Human rights barriers included shifting legal frameworks, doubt about human rights, weak government infrastructure, and poverty. The evolving government infrastructure cannot currently provide adequate human rights protection, especially for women. The nature of living in poverty without development opportunities includes human rights abuses. Good governance, protection, and human development opportunities were emphasized as priority human rights concerns. Human rights framework could serve as a powerful integrator of health and development work with community-based organizations. Results help nurses understand the intersection between health and human rights as well as approaches to advancing rights in a culturally attuned manner.

Understanding and quantifying urban forest structure, functions, and value

Treesearch

David J. Nowak; Daniel E. Crane; Jeffrey T. Walton; Daniel B. Twardus; John F. Dwyer

2002-01-01

Trees in urban areas can have a significant impact on human health and the environment. Unfortunately, there is relatively little data about the structure, health, functions, and long-term changes in this important resource. In the United States, a number of efforts are underway to assess urban forest attributes at the local to national scales. In addition, tools are...

Review of the anticarcinogenic properties and other health benefits of tomato compounds lycopene and tomatine in pure form and in fresh and processed tomatoes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Tomatoes produce the bioactive compounds the red pigment lycopene and the glycoalkaloid a-tomatine that are reported to have potential health-promoting effects in animals and humans but our understanding of the roles of these compounds in the diet is incomplete. This review surveys and interprets t...

Meet EPA Scientist Dermont Bouchard, Ph.D.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA Scientist Dermont Bouchard, Ph.D., is working to better understand how tiny nanomaterials might be released into the environment. His research helps regulators and other decision-makers lower risks and better protect human health and the environment

78 FR 59053 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of an Extension of an Information Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-25

... ecosystems, and human and wildlife health. These invaders extract a huge cost. The current annual..., monitoring of invading populations; improving understanding of the ecology of invaders and factors in the...

78 FR 77705 - Proposed Agency Information Collection Activity: Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Sighting Reporting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-24

... species, valued ecosystems, and human and wildlife health. These invaders extract a huge cost, an...; and improving understanding of the ecology of invaders and factors in the resistance of habitats to...

Hydrogeology and human health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Over the past 50 years, significant progress has been made in improving our understanding of the extent and potential consequences of groundwater contamination, with research advancing on several fronts including groundwater sampling methods, laboratory detection methods, subsurface transport (and m...

Exposure Science and Its Applications for Effective Environmental Management

EPA Science Inventory

Exposure is the link between environmental pollution and human/ecosystem health. Exposure science entails understanding the scientific processes that affect source emissions, transport and fate, spatio-temporal variability in the ambient concentrations, levels of contaminants tha...

Adverse effects of perinatal nicotine exposure on reproductive outcomes.

PubMed

Wong, Michael K; Barra, Nicole G; Alfaidy, Nadia; Hardy, Daniel B; Holloway, Alison C

2015-12-01

Nicotine exposure during pregnancy through cigarette smoking, nicotine replacement therapies or e-cigarette use continues to be a widespread public health problem, impacting both fetal and postnatal health. Yet, at this time, there remains limited data regarding the safety and efficacy in using these nicotine products during pregnancy. Notably, reports assessing the effect of nicotine exposure on postnatal health outcomes in humans, including reproductive health, are severely lacking. Our current understanding regarding the consequences of nicotine exposure during pregnancy is limited to a few animal studies, which do not comprehensively address the underlying cellular mechanisms involved. This paper aims to critically review the current knowledge from human and animal studies regarding the direct and indirect effects (e.g. obesity) of maternal nicotine exposure, regardless of its source, on reproductive outcomes in pregnancy and postnatal life. Furthermore, this review highlights several key cellular mechanisms involved in these adverse reproductive deficits including oxidative stress, inflammation, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. By understanding the interplay of the cellular mechanisms involved, further strategies could be developed to prevent the reproductive abnormalities resulting from exposure to nicotine in utero and influence informed clinical guidelines for pregnant women. © 2015 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.

Comparison of the 1996 and 2001 census data for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal workers in health care occupations.

PubMed

Lecompte, Emily; Baril, Mireille

2008-01-01

To meet the unique health needs of Aboriginal peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), it is important to increase and encourage Aboriginal representation in health care. One Federal initiative, the Aboriginal Health Human Resource Initiative (AHHRI) at Health Canada, focuses on: (1) increasing the number of Aboriginal people working in health careers; (2) adapting health care educational curricula to support the development of cultural competencies; and (3) improving the retention of health care workers in Aboriginal communities. A health care system that focuses on understanding the unique challenges, concerns, and needs of Aboriginal people can better respond to this specific population, which suffers disproportionately from ill health in comparison to their non-Aboriginal counterparts. This report examines the supply of Aboriginal health care providers in Canada, based on geographic region, area of residence, Aboriginal identity, and occupation. Findings are drawn from the 1996 and 2001 censuses from Statistics Canada. Quantitative results provide a greater understanding of labour force characteristics of First Nation, Inuit, Métis, and non-Aboriginal health providers.

Food formats for effective delivery of probiotics.

PubMed

Sanders, Mary Ellen; Marco, Maria L

2010-01-01

Probiotic bacteria are increasingly incorporated into food products intended to confer health benefits in the human gut and beyond. Little is known about how the food matrix and product formulation impacts probiotic functionality, even though such information is essential to scientific understanding and regulatory substantiation of health benefits. The food format has the potential to affect probiotic survival, physiology, and potentially efficacy, but few comparative studies in humans have been conducted. Human studies should account for the effects of the food base on human health and the bioactive components present in the foods that may augment or diminish interactions of the probiotic with the human host. Some studies show that food ingredients such as prebiotics and milk components can improve probiotic survival during the shelf life of foods, which may enhance probiotic efficacy through increased dose effects. Furthermore, there are indications that synbiotic products are more effective than either probiotics or prebiotics alone. Identification of probiotic adaptations to the food and gut environments holds promise for determining the specific cell components and potential bacterial-food interactions necessary for health benefits and determining how these factors are affected by changes in food formulation and host diet. These studies, combined with controlled human studies, are important future research activities for advancing this field.

Extreme weather events and infectious disease outbreaks.

PubMed

McMichael, Anthony J

2015-01-01

Human-driven climatic changes will fundamentally influence patterns of human health, including infectious disease clusters and epidemics following extreme weather events. Extreme weather events are projected to increase further with the advance of human-driven climate change. Both recent and historical experiences indicate that infectious disease outbreaks very often follow extreme weather events, as microbes, vectors and reservoir animal hosts exploit the disrupted social and environmental conditions of extreme weather events. This review article examines infectious disease risks associated with extreme weather events; it draws on recent experiences including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2010 Pakistan mega-floods, and historical examples from previous centuries of epidemics and 'pestilence' associated with extreme weather disasters and climatic changes. A fuller understanding of climatic change, the precursors and triggers of extreme weather events and health consequences is needed in order to anticipate and respond to the infectious disease risks associated with human-driven climate change. Post-event risks to human health can be constrained, nonetheless, by reducing background rates of persistent infection, preparatory action such as coordinated disease surveillance and vaccination coverage, and strengthened disaster response. In the face of changing climate and weather conditions, it is critically important to think in ecological terms about the determinants of health, disease and death in human populations.

Inflammation, Self-Regulation, and Health: An Immunologic Model of Self-Regulatory Failure.

PubMed

Shields, Grant S; Moons, Wesley G; Slavich, George M

2017-07-01

Self-regulation is a fundamental human process that refers to multiple complex methods by which individuals pursue goals in the face of distractions. Whereas superior self-regulation predicts better academic achievement, relationship quality, financial and career success, and lifespan health, poor self-regulation increases a person's risk for negative outcomes in each of these domains and can ultimately presage early mortality. Given its centrality to understanding the human condition, a large body of research has examined cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of self-regulation. In contrast, relatively little attention has been paid to specific biologic processes that may underlie self-regulation. We address this latter issue in the present review by examining the growing body of research showing that components of the immune system involved in inflammation can alter neural, cognitive, and motivational processes that lead to impaired self-regulation and poor health. Based on these findings, we propose an integrated, multilevel model that describes how inflammation may cause widespread biobehavioral alterations that promote self-regulatory failure. This immunologic model of self-regulatory failure has implications for understanding how biological and behavioral factors interact to influence self-regulation. The model also suggests new ways of reducing disease risk and enhancing human potential by targeting inflammatory processes that affect self-regulation.

ILSI Southeast Asia Region conference proceedings: The gut, its microbes and health: relevance for Asia.

PubMed

Lee, Yuan Kun; Conway, Patricia; Pettersson, Sven; Nair, G Balakrish; Surono, Ingrid; Egayanti, Yusra; Amarra, Maria Sofia

2017-01-01

The human being is a complex entity, involving interaction between microbes and the human host. Evidence shows that the nutritional value of food is influenced in part by the structure and operations of an individual's gut microbial community, and food in turn shapes the individual's microbiome. A conference was held to promote understanding of the intestinal microbiome and its implications for health and disease, particularly among Asian populations. Papers describing 1) the intestinal ecosystem in Asian populations, 2) changes in intestinal microbiota through life and its effects, 3) the Asian gut microbiota in disease conditions, 4) indigenous probiotics to maintain a healthy gut microbiota, 5) probiotic regulation in an Asian country, and 6) the results of a panel discussion are included in this report. The gut microbial inhabitants of Asian people differ from those of Europe and North America. Geographic location, diet, and ethnic background influence intestinal microbial composition. Urbanization and economic development have brought changes in traditional Asian diets, which in turn affected the gut microbiome, contributing to a shift in the region's health burden from infectious diseases to non-communicable chronic diseases. Novel probiotic strains of Indonesian origin demonstrated significant enhancement of humoral immune response in human studies. Knowledge gaps and implications for research to further understand the Asian gut microbiome were discussed.

Gene Expression Profiling in Human Lung Cells Exposed to Isoprene-Derived Secondary Organic Aerosol.

PubMed

Lin, Ying-Hsuan; Arashiro, Maiko; Clapp, Phillip W; Cui, Tianqu; Sexton, Kenneth G; Vizuete, William; Gold, Avram; Jaspers, Ilona; Fry, Rebecca C; Surratt, Jason D

2017-07-18

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) derived from the photochemical oxidation of isoprene contributes a substantial mass fraction to atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). The formation of isoprene SOA is influenced largely by anthropogenic emissions through multiphase chemistry of its multigenerational oxidation products. Considering the abundance of isoprene SOA in the troposphere, understanding mechanisms of adverse health effects through inhalation exposure is critical to mitigating its potential impact on public health. In this study, we assessed the effects of isoprene SOA on gene expression in human airway epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) through an air-liquid interface exposure. Gene expression profiling of 84 oxidative stress and 249 inflammation-associated human genes was performed. Our results show that the expression levels of 29 genes were significantly altered upon isoprene SOA exposure under noncytotoxic conditions (p < 0.05), with the majority (22/29) of genes passing a false discovery rate threshold of 0.3. The most significantly affected genes belong to the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) transcription factor network. The Nrf2 function is confirmed through a reporter cell line. Together with detailed characterization of SOA constituents, this study reveals the impact of isoprene SOA exposure on lung responses and highlights the importance of further understanding its potential health outcomes.

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

PubMed

Ye, Kaixiong; Gu, Zhenglong

2011-11-01

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

Exposure science in an age of rapidly changing climate: challenges and opportunities

PubMed Central

LaKind, Judy S; Overpeck, Jonathan; Breysse, Patrick N; Backer, Lorrie; Richardson, Susan D; Sobus, Jon; Sapkota, Amir; Upperman, Crystal R; Jiang, Chengsheng; Beard, C Ben; Brunkard, J M; Bell, Jesse E; Harris, Ryan; Chretien, Jean-Paul; Peltier, Richard E; Chew, Ginger L; Blount, Benjamin C

2016-01-01

Climate change is anticipated to alter the production, use, release, and fate of environmental chemicals, likely leading to increased uncertainty in exposure and human health risk predictions. Exposure science provides a key connection between changes in climate and associated health outcomes. The theme of the 2015 Annual Meeting of the International Society of Exposure Science—Exposures in an Evolving Environment—brought this issue to the fore. By directing attention to questions that may affect society in profound ways, exposure scientists have an opportunity to conduct “consequential science”—doing science that matters, using our tools for the greater good and to answer key policy questions, and identifying causes leading to implementation of solutions. Understanding the implications of changing exposures on public health may be one of the most consequential areas of study in which exposure scientists could currently be engaged. In this paper, we use a series of case studies to identify exposure data gaps and research paths that will enable us to capture the information necessary for understanding climate change-related human exposures and consequent health impacts. We hope that paper will focus attention on under-developed areas of exposure science that will likely have broad implications for public health. PMID:27485992

Limitations to Thermoregulation and Acclimatization Challenge Human Adaptation to Global Warming.

PubMed

Hanna, Elizabeth G; Tait, Peter W

2015-07-15

Human thermoregulation and acclimatization are core components of the human coping mechanism for withstanding variations in environmental heat exposure. Amidst growing recognition that curtailing global warming to less than two degrees is becoming increasing improbable, human survival will require increasing reliance on these mechanisms. The projected several fold increase in extreme heat events suggests we need to recalibrate health protection policies and ratchet up adaptation efforts. Climate researchers, epidemiologists, and policy makers engaged in climate change adaptation and health protection are not commonly drawn from heat physiology backgrounds. Injecting a scholarly consideration of physiological limitations to human heat tolerance into the adaptation and policy literature allows for a broader understanding of heat health risks to support effective human adaptation and adaptation planning. This paper details the physiological and external environmental factors that determine human thermoregulation and acclimatization. We present a model to illustrate the interrelationship between elements that modulate the physiological process of thermoregulation. Limitations inherent in these processes, and the constraints imposed by differing exposure levels, and thermal comfort seeking on achieving acclimatization, are then described. Combined, these limitations will restrict the likely contribution that acclimatization can play in future human adaptation to global warming. We postulate that behavioral and technological adaptations will need to become the dominant means for human individual and societal adaptations as global warming progresses.

Socio-hydrologic modeling to understand and mediate the competition for water between agriculture development and environmental health: Murrumbidgee River Basin, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Emmerik, T. H. M.; Li, Z.; Sivapalan, M.; Pande, S.; Kandasamy, J.; Savenije, H. H. G.; Chanan, A.; Vigneswaran, S.

2014-03-01

Competition for water between humans and ecosystems is set to become a flash point in the coming decades in many parts of the world. An entirely new and comprehensive quantitative framework is needed to establish a holistic understanding of that competition, thereby enabling the development of effective mediation strategies. This paper presents a modeling study centered on the Murrumbidgee River Basin (MRB). The MRB has witnessed a unique system dynamics over the last 100 years as a result of interactions between patterns of water management and climate driven hydrological variability. Data analysis has revealed a pendulum swing between agricultural development and restoration of environmental health and ecosystem services over different stages of basin scale water resource development. A parsimonious, stylized, quasi-distributed coupled socio-hydrologic system model that simulates the two-way coupling between human and hydrological systems of the MRB is used to mimic dominant features of the pendulum swing. The model consists of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations that describe the interaction between five state variables that govern the co-evolution: reservoir storage, irrigated area, human population, ecosystem health, and a measure of environmental awareness. The model simulations track the propagation of the external climatic and socio-economic drivers through this coupled, complex system to the emergence of the pendulum swing. The model results point to a competition between human "productive" and environmental "restorative" forces that underpin the pendulum swing. Both the forces are endogenous, i.e., generated by the system dynamics in response to external drivers and mediated by humans through technology change and environmental awareness, respectively. We propose this as a generalizable modeling framework for coupled human hydrological systems that is potentially transferable to systems in different climatic and socio-economic settings.

Applying human rights to maternal health: UN Technical Guidance on rights-based approaches.

PubMed

Yamin, Alicia Ely

2013-05-01

In the last few years there have been several critical milestones in acknowledging the centrality of human rights to sustainably addressing the scourge of maternal death and morbidity around the world, including from the United Nations Human Rights Council. In 2012, the Council adopted a resolution welcoming a Technical Guidance on rights-based approaches to maternal mortality and morbidity, and calling for a report on its implementation in 2 years. The present paper provides an overview of the contents and significance of the Guidance. It reviews how the Guidance can assist policymakers in improving women's health and their enjoyment of rights by setting out the implications of adopting a human rights-based approach at each step of the policy cycle, from planning and budgeting, to ensuring implementation, to monitoring and evaluation, to fostering accountability mechanisms. The Guidance should also prove useful to clinicians in understanding rights frameworks as applied to maternal health. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clinical management of canine leishmaniosis versus human leishmaniasis due to Leishmania infantum: Putting "One Health" principles into practice.

PubMed

Miró, Guadalupe; López-Vélez, Rogelio

2018-04-30

The initiative One World, "One Health" tries to rapidly detect emerging or reemerging human and animal infectious diseases and prevent epidemiological situations such as deforestation, some agricultural practices or the appearance of new foci of leishmaniosis due to Leishmania infantum with alternative reservoirs. With this objective in mind, we here consider leishmaniosis in the Mediterranean basin and compare its current clinical management from two perspectives: that of a veterinarian specialized in infectious and parasitic diseases, and that of a physician specialized in infectious tropical diseases. We thus prepared a list of 10 key questions from epidemiology to control of the disease in both species: dogs and humans. This issue requires a concise and clear response to help animal and human health clinicians to improve their clinical management and understanding of this important zoonosis. Our ultimate aim is to update and bring together the information available backed by sound scientific evidence. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Twelfth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research.

PubMed

Tchounwou, Paul B

2016-05-04

During the past century, environmental hazards have become a major concern, not only to public health professionals, but also to the society at large because of their tremendous health, socio-cultural and economic impacts. Various anthropogenic or natural factors have been implicated in the alteration of ecosystem integrity, as well as in the development of a wide variety of acute and/or chronic diseases in humans. It has also been demonstrated that many environmental agents, acting either independently or in combination with other toxins, may induce a wide range of adverse health outcomes. Understanding the role played by the environment in the etiology of human diseases is critical to designing cost-effective control/prevention measures. This special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health includes the proceedings of the Twelfth International Symposium on Recent Advances in Environmental Health Research. The Symposium provided an excellent opportunity to discuss the scientific advances in biomedical, environmental, and public health research that addresses global environmental health issues.

The Potential Health Benefits of Noni Juice: A Review of Human Intervention Studies.

PubMed

West, Brett J; Deng, Shixin; Isami, Fumiyuki; Uwaya, Akemi; Jensen, Claude Jarakae

2018-04-11

Noni juice is a globally popular health beverage originating in the tropics. Traditional Tahitian healers believe the noni plant to be useful for a wide range of maladies, and noni juice consumers throughout the world have similar perceptions. Nevertheless, human clinical trials are necessary for a precise understanding of what the health benefits of noni juice are. A review of published human intervention studies suggests that noni juice may provide protection against tobacco smoke-induced DNA damage, blood lipid and homocysteine elevation as well as systemic inflammation. Human intervention studies also indicate that noni juice may improve joint health, increase physical endurance, increase immune activity, inhibit glycation of proteins, aid weight management, help maintain bone health in women, help maintain normal blood pressure, and improve gum health. Further, these studies point to notable antioxidant activity in noni juice, more so than other fruit juices which served as trial placebos. It is this antioxidant effect and its interaction with the immune system and inflammation pathways that may account for many of the observed health benefits of noni juice. However, the existing evidence does have some limitations as far as its general application to noni juice products; all the peer-reviewed human interventions studies to date have involved only one source of French Polynesian noni juice. Geographical factors and variations in processing methods are known to produce commercial noni juice products with divergent phytochemical and nutrient compositions. Therefore, other sources of noni products may have different toxicological and pharmacological profiles.

The Potential Health Benefits of Noni Juice: A Review of Human Intervention Studies

PubMed Central

Deng, Shixin; Isami, Fumiyuki; Uwaya, Akemi; Jensen, Claude Jarakae

2018-01-01

Noni juice is a globally popular health beverage originating in the tropics. Traditional Tahitian healers believe the noni plant to be useful for a wide range of maladies, and noni juice consumers throughout the world have similar perceptions. Nevertheless, human clinical trials are necessary for a precise understanding of what the health benefits of noni juice are. A review of published human intervention studies suggests that noni juice may provide protection against tobacco smoke-induced DNA damage, blood lipid and homocysteine elevation as well as systemic inflammation. Human intervention studies also indicate that noni juice may improve joint health, increase physical endurance, increase immune activity, inhibit glycation of proteins, aid weight management, help maintain bone health in women, help maintain normal blood pressure, and improve gum health. Further, these studies point to notable antioxidant activity in noni juice, more so than other fruit juices which served as trial placebos. It is this antioxidant effect and its interaction with the immune system and inflammation pathways that may account for many of the observed health benefits of noni juice. However, the existing evidence does have some limitations as far as its general application to noni juice products; all the peer-reviewed human interventions studies to date have involved only one source of French Polynesian noni juice. Geographical factors and variations in processing methods are known to produce commercial noni juice products with divergent phytochemical and nutrient compositions. Therefore, other sources of noni products may have different toxicological and pharmacological profiles. PMID:29641454

Novel reassortant influenza viruses between pandemic (H1N1) 2009 and other influenza viruses pose a risk to public health.

PubMed

Kong, Weili; Wang, Feibing; Dong, Bin; Ou, Changbo; Meng, Demei; Liu, Jinhua; Fan, Zhen-Chuan

2015-12-01

Influenza A virus (IAV) is characterized by eight single-stranded, negative sense RNA segments, which allows for gene reassortment among different IAV subtypes when they co-infect a single host cell simultaneously. Genetic reassortment is an important way to favor the evolution of influenza virus. Novel reassortant virus may pose a pandemic among humans. In history, three human pandemic influenza viruses were caused by genetic reassortment between avian, human and swine influenza viruses. Since 2009, pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (pdm/09 H1N1) influenza virus composed of two swine influenza virus genes highlighted the genetic reassortment again. Due to wide host species and high transmission of the pdm/09 H1N1 influenza virus, many different avian, human or swine influenza virus subtypes may reassert with it to generate novel reassortant viruses, which may result in a next pandemic among humans. So, it is necessary to understand the potential threat of current reassortant viruses between the pdm/09 H1N1 and other influenza viruses to public health. This study summarized the status of the reassortant viruses between the pdm/09 H1N1 and other influenza viruses of different species origins in natural and experimental conditions. The aim of this summarization is to facilitate us to further understand the potential threats of novel reassortant influenza viruses to public health and to make effective prevention and control strategies for these pathogens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zebrafish: A marvel of high-throughput biology for 21st century toxicology.

PubMed

Bugel, Sean M; Tanguay, Robert L; Planchart, Antonio

2014-09-07

The evolutionary conservation of genomic, biochemical and developmental features between zebrafish and humans is gradually coming into focus with the end result that the zebrafish embryo model has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the effects of environmental exposures on a multitude of biological processes with direct relevance to human health. In this review, we highlight advances in automation, high-throughput (HT) screening, and analysis that leverage the power of the zebrafish embryo model for unparalleled advances in our understanding of how chemicals in our environment affect our health and wellbeing.

Zebrafish: A marvel of high-throughput biology for 21st century toxicology

PubMed Central

Bugel, Sean M.; Tanguay, Robert L.; Planchart, Antonio

2015-01-01

The evolutionary conservation of genomic, biochemical and developmental features between zebrafish and humans is gradually coming into focus with the end result that the zebrafish embryo model has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering the effects of environmental exposures on a multitude of biological processes with direct relevance to human health. In this review, we highlight advances in automation, high-throughput (HT) screening, and analysis that leverage the power of the zebrafish embryo model for unparalleled advances in our understanding of how chemicals in our environment affect our health and wellbeing. PMID:25678986

Frontiers in the bioarchaeology of stress and disease: cross-disciplinary perspectives from pathophysiology, human biology, and epidemiology.

PubMed

Klaus, Haagen D

2014-10-01

Over the last four decades, bioarchaeology has experienced significant technical growth and theoretical maturation. Early 21st century bioarchaeology may also be enhanced from a renewed engagement with the concept of biological stress. New insights on biological stress and disease can be gained from cross-disciplinary perspectives regarding human skeletal variation and disease. First, pathophysiologic and molecular signaling mechanisms can provide more precise understandings regarding formation of pathological phenotypes in bone. Using periosteal new bone formation as an example, various mechanisms and pathways are explored in which new bone can be formed under conditions of biological stress, particularly in bone microenvironments that involve inflammatory changes. Second, insights from human biology are examined regarding some epigenetic factors and disease etiology. While epigenetic effects on stress and disease outcomes appear profoundly influential, they are mostly invisible in skeletal tissue. However, some indirect and downstream effects, such as the developmental origins of adult health outcomes, may be partially observable in bioarchaeological data. Emerging perspectives from the human microbiome are also considered. Microbiomics involves a remarkable potential to understand ancient biology, disease, and stress. Third, tools from epidemiology are examined that may aid bioarchaeologists to better cope with some of the inherent limitations of skeletal samples to better measure and quantify the expressions of skeletal stress markers. Such cross-disciplinary synergisms hopefully will promote more complete understandings of health and stress in bioarchaeological science. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

[Emergent topics of educators' perspectives on their own education for retired health care professionals].

PubMed

Lourdes, C; Reus, Velázquez

2002-09-01

The purpose of the study was to explore the nature of seven retired educators' perspectives on their own education. Each educator was from a different health profession. Berger and Luckmann's thesis on the social construction of reality served as the conceptual framework of the study Throughout the study the researcher was able to appreciate that even though the reality of everyday life is a subjective interpretation of the world, there is a continuous correspondence between the researcher's perceptions of meaning and those of others. The in-depth interview method provided an adequate mechanism for the reconstruction of participants' everyday life experiences, and for the construction of categories of meaning. The researcher applied the method of inductive analysis in the identification of the themes and issues and in the construction of the categories. Nine categories of meaning emerged from the participants' reconstruction: 1) the legitimization of retirement; 2) understandings surrounding one's education; 3) understanding of the human aging process; 4) the legitimization of death; 5) the bonds between human beings as a fundamental element of human reality; 6) the roles within, and the objectification of, human activity; 7) the legitimization of religion and the element of spirituality; 8) understandings surrounding one's self; and 9) the reconstruction of the past: traditions and legitimate practices. Within the categories are areas of convergence between the signification of "one's own education" as a modality of life, and the signification of learning and of its propitiatory and restrictive conditions. As to the understandings of meaning and the emergent categories of meaning, the researcher constructed specific educational recommendations, which emphasize the educational processes of the old adult.

[Global Bioethics and Biocultural Ethics].

PubMed

Rozzi, Ricardo

2016-01-01

The biocultural ethic recovers an understanding of the vital links between the life habits of the coinhabitants (humans and other-than-human) that share a habitat. The ″3Hs″ formal framework of the biocultural ethics provides a conceptual and methodological tool to understand and to better manage complex eco-social or biocultural systems in heterogeneous regions of the planet. From the global bioethics originally proposed by V.R. Potter, the integration of theory and praxis promoted by Alfredo Pradenas in the Bioethics Society of Chile, and the conceptual framework of biocultural ethics (including traditions of philosophical thought, scientific and Amerindians), I develop a comparative analysis of: 1. an ecosystemic and intercultural concept of the human body, 2. an intercultural understanding of health with complementary Western and Native American medicinal practices, and 3. an appreciation and respect for the fundamental links among the life habits, the habitats where they take place, and the well-being and identity of the communities of cohabitants. Implicit links in the ″3Hs″ biocultural ethics are present in the archaic meanings of the term ethos. This understanding retrieves a primordial root in the genesis of Western ethics, which did not start bounded to how to inhabit or dwell, but also considered where to inhabit and with whom to co-inhabit. I propose to restore the complexity and breadth of the concept of ethics originated in Ancient Greece, to reaffirm the common roots of bioethics and environmental ethics contained in Potter's global bioethics, and to incorporate the systemic and contextual perspective of the biocultural ethic that values biological and cultural diversity (and their interrelationships), to sustain a conception of human health interconnected with the sustainability of the biosphere.