WorldWideScience

Sample records for eds developmental biology

  1. Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Scott F

    2017-12-01

    Developmental biology (including embryology) is proposed as "the stem cell of biological disciplines." Genetics, cell biology, oncology, immunology, evolutionary mechanisms, neurobiology, and systems biology each has its ancestry in developmental biology. Moreover, developmental biology continues to roll on, budding off more disciplines, while retaining its own identity. While its descendant disciplines differentiate into sciences with a restricted set of paradigms, examples, and techniques, developmental biology remains vigorous, pluripotent, and relatively undifferentiated. In many disciplines, especially in evolutionary biology and oncology, the developmental perspective is being reasserted as an important research program.

  2. Developmental biology, the stem cell of biological disciplines

    OpenAIRE

    Gilbert, Scott F.

    2017-01-01

    Developmental biology (including embryology) is proposed as "the stem cell of biological disciplines.” Genetics, cell biology, oncology, immunology, evolutionary mechanisms, neurobiology, and systems biology each has its ancestry in developmental biology. Moreover, developmental biology continues to roll on, budding off more disciplines, while retaining its own identity. While its descendant disciplines differentiate into sciences with a restricted set of paradigms, examples, and techniques, ...

  3. The diversification of developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowe, Nathan; Dietrich, Michael R; Alomepe, Beverly S; Antrim, Amelia F; ByrneSim, Bay Lauris; He, Yi

    2015-10-01

    In the 1960s, "developmental biology" became the dominant term to describe some of the research that had previously been included under the rubrics of embryology, growth, morphology, and physiology. As scientific societies formed under this new label, a new discipline took shape. Historians, however, have a number of different perspectives on what changes led to this new field of developmental biology and how the field itself was constituted during this period. Using the General Embryological Information Service, a global index of post-World War II development-related research, we have documented and visualized significant changes in the kinds of research that occurred as this new field formed. In particular, our analysis supports the claim that the transition toward developmental biology was marked by a growth in new topics and forms of research. Although many historians privilege the role of molecular biology and/or the molecularization of biology in general during this formative period, we have found that the influence of molecular biology is not sufficient to account for the wide range of new research that constituted developmental biology at the time. Overall, our work creates a robust characterization of the changes that occurred with regard to research on growth and development in the decades following World War II and provides a context for future work on the specific drivers of those changes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Computerised modelling for developmental biology : an exploration with case studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bertens, Laura M.F.

    2012-01-01

    Many studies in developmental biology rely on the construction and analysis of models. This research presents a broad view of modelling approaches for developmental biology, with a focus on computational methods. An overview of modelling techniques is given, followed by several case studies. Using

  5. SED-ED, a workflow editor for computational biology experiments written in SED-ML.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, Richard R

    2012-04-15

    The simulation experiment description markup language (SED-ML) is a new community data standard to encode computational biology experiments in a computer-readable XML format. Its widespread adoption will require the development of software support to work with SED-ML files. Here, we describe a software tool, SED-ED, to view, edit, validate and annotate SED-ML documents while shielding end-users from the underlying XML representation. SED-ED supports modellers who wish to create, understand and further develop a simulation description provided in SED-ML format. SED-ED is available as a standalone Java application, as an Eclipse plug-in and as an SBSI (www.sbsi.ed.ac.uk) plug-in, all under an MIT open-source license. Source code is at https://sed-ed-sedmleditor.googlecode.com/svn. The application itself is available from https://sourceforge.net/projects/jlibsedml/files/SED-ED/.

  6. Developmental biology in marine invertebrate symbioses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFall-Ngai, M J; Ruby, E G

    2000-12-01

    Associations between marine invertebrates and their cooperative bacterial symbionts offer access to an understanding of the roots of host-microbe interaction; for example, several symbioses like the squid-vibrio light organ association serve as models for investigating how each partner affects the developmental biology of the other. Previous results have identified a program of specific developmental events that unfolds as the association is initiated. In the past year, published studies have focused primarily on describing the mechanisms underlying the signaling processes that occur between the juvenile squid and the luminous bacteria that colonize it.

  7. Transcriptomic signatures shaped by cell proportions shed light on comparative developmental biology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pantalacci, S.; Gueguen, L.; Petit, C.; Lambert, A.; Peterková, Renata; Sémon, E.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 18, feb (2017), s. 29 ISSN 1474-760X R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GB14-37368G Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : comparative transcriptomics * developmental biology * transcriptomic signature Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 11.908, year: 2016

  8. Science Academies' Refresher Course in Developmental Biology

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 20; Issue 8. Science Academies' Refresher Course in Developmental Biology. Information and Announcements Volume 20 Issue 8 August 2015 pp 756-756. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

  9. Making developmental biology relevant to undergraduates in an era of economic rationalism in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Key, Brian; Nurcombe, Victor

    2003-01-01

    This report describes the road map we followed at our university to accommodate three main factors: financial pressure within the university system; desire to enhance the learning experience of undergraduates; and motivation to increase the prominence of the discipline of developmental biology in our university. We engineered a novel, multi-year undergraduate developmental biology program which was "student-oriented," ensuring that students were continually exposed to the underlying principles and philosophy of this discipline throughout their undergraduate career. Among its key features are introductory lectures in core courses in the first year, which emphasize the relevance of developmental biology to tissue engineering, reproductive medicine, therapeutic approaches in medicine, agriculture and aquaculture. State-of-the-art animated computer graphics and images of high visual impact are also used. In addition, students are streamed into the developmental biology track in the second year, using courses like human embryology and courses shared with cell biology, which include practicals based on modern experimental approaches. Finally, fully dedicated third-year courses in developmental biology are undertaken in conjunction with stand-alone practical courses where students experiencefirst-hand work in a research laboratory. Our philosophy is a "cradle-to-grave" approach to the education of undergraduates so as to prepare highly motivated, enthusiastic and well-educated developmental biologists for entry into graduate programs and ultimately post-doctoral research.

  10. Reverse engineering development: Crosstalk opportunities between developmental biology and tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcucio, Ralph S; Qin, Ling; Alsberg, Eben; Boerckel, Joel D

    2017-11-01

    The fields of developmental biology and tissue engineering have been revolutionized in recent years by technological advancements, expanded understanding, and biomaterials design, leading to the emerging paradigm of "developmental" or "biomimetic" tissue engineering. While developmental biology and tissue engineering have long overlapping histories, the fields have largely diverged in recent years at the same time that crosstalk opportunities for mutual benefit are more salient than ever. In this perspective article, we will use musculoskeletal development and tissue engineering as a platform on which to discuss these emerging crosstalk opportunities and will present our opinions on the bright future of these overlapping spheres of influence. The multicellular programs that control musculoskeletal development are rapidly becoming clarified, represented by shifting paradigms in our understanding of cellular function, identity, and lineage specification during development. Simultaneously, advancements in bioartificial matrices that replicate the biochemical, microstructural, and mechanical properties of developing tissues present new tools and approaches for recapitulating development in tissue engineering. Here, we introduce concepts and experimental approaches in musculoskeletal developmental biology and biomaterials design and discuss applications in tissue engineering as well as opportunities for tissue engineering approaches to inform our understanding of fundamental biology. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2356-2368, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Imaging and elemental mapping of biological specimens with a dual-EDS dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, J.S., E-mail: jinsong-wu@northwestern.edu [Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Kim, A.M. [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611 (United States); Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Bleher, R. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Myers, B.D. [Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Marvin, R.G. [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Inada, H.; Nakamura, K. [Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation, Ibaraki 312-8504 (Japan); Zhang, X.F. [Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc., 5960 Inglewood Drive, Pleasanton, California 94588 (United States); Roth, E. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Chemistry of Life Processes Institute, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Li, S.Y. [Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); and others

    2013-05-15

    A dedicated analytical scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with dual energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors has been designed for complementary high performance imaging as well as high sensitivity elemental analysis and mapping of biological structures. The performance of this new design, based on a Hitachi HD-2300A model, was evaluated using a variety of biological specimens. With three imaging detectors, both the surface and internal structure of cells can be examined simultaneously. The whole-cell elemental mapping, especially of heavier metal species that have low cross-section for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), can be faithfully obtained. Optimization of STEM imaging conditions is applied to thick sections as well as thin sections of biological cells under low-dose conditions at room and cryogenic temperatures. Such multimodal capabilities applied to soft/biological structures usher a new era for analytical studies in biological systems. - Highlights: ► Applications of STEM in characterization of biological samples are demonstrated. ► Elemental analyses are performed by dual EDS and EELS. ► Both the surface and internal structure of cells can be studied simultaneously. ► The imaging contrast in low-dose cryo-STEM has been analyzed.

  12. Imaging and elemental mapping of biological specimens with a dual-EDS dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu, J.S.; Kim, A.M.; Bleher, R.; Myers, B.D.; Marvin, R.G.; Inada, H.; Nakamura, K.; Zhang, X.F.; Roth, E.; Li, S.Y.

    2013-01-01

    A dedicated analytical scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with dual energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors has been designed for complementary high performance imaging as well as high sensitivity elemental analysis and mapping of biological structures. The performance of this new design, based on a Hitachi HD-2300A model, was evaluated using a variety of biological specimens. With three imaging detectors, both the surface and internal structure of cells can be examined simultaneously. The whole-cell elemental mapping, especially of heavier metal species that have low cross-section for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), can be faithfully obtained. Optimization of STEM imaging conditions is applied to thick sections as well as thin sections of biological cells under low-dose conditions at room and cryogenic temperatures. Such multimodal capabilities applied to soft/biological structures usher a new era for analytical studies in biological systems. - Highlights: ► Applications of STEM in characterization of biological samples are demonstrated. ► Elemental analyses are performed by dual EDS and EELS. ► Both the surface and internal structure of cells can be studied simultaneously. ► The imaging contrast in low-dose cryo-STEM has been analyzed

  13. Bioinformatics approaches to single-cell analysis in developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yalcin, Dicle; Hakguder, Zeynep M; Otu, Hasan H

    2016-03-01

    Individual cells within the same population show various degrees of heterogeneity, which may be better handled with single-cell analysis to address biological and clinical questions. Single-cell analysis is especially important in developmental biology as subtle spatial and temporal differences in cells have significant associations with cell fate decisions during differentiation and with the description of a particular state of a cell exhibiting an aberrant phenotype. Biotechnological advances, especially in the area of microfluidics, have led to a robust, massively parallel and multi-dimensional capturing, sorting, and lysis of single-cells and amplification of related macromolecules, which have enabled the use of imaging and omics techniques on single cells. There have been improvements in computational single-cell image analysis in developmental biology regarding feature extraction, segmentation, image enhancement and machine learning, handling limitations of optical resolution to gain new perspectives from the raw microscopy images. Omics approaches, such as transcriptomics, genomics and epigenomics, targeting gene and small RNA expression, single nucleotide and structural variations and methylation and histone modifications, rely heavily on high-throughput sequencing technologies. Although there are well-established bioinformatics methods for analysis of sequence data, there are limited bioinformatics approaches which address experimental design, sample size considerations, amplification bias, normalization, differential expression, coverage, clustering and classification issues, specifically applied at the single-cell level. In this review, we summarize biological and technological advancements, discuss challenges faced in the aforementioned data acquisition and analysis issues and present future prospects for application of single-cell analyses to developmental biology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European

  14. Computer modeling in developmental biology: growing today, essential tomorrow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharpe, James

    2017-12-01

    D'Arcy Thompson was a true pioneer, applying mathematical concepts and analyses to the question of morphogenesis over 100 years ago. The centenary of his famous book, On Growth and Form , is therefore a great occasion on which to review the types of computer modeling now being pursued to understand the development of organs and organisms. Here, I present some of the latest modeling projects in the field, covering a wide range of developmental biology concepts, from molecular patterning to tissue morphogenesis. Rather than classifying them according to scientific question, or scale of problem, I focus instead on the different ways that modeling contributes to the scientific process and discuss the likely future of modeling in developmental biology. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  15. Science Academies' Refresher Course in Developmental Biology 16 ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    The objectives of this Refresher Course are to update the participants about the advances in the field of Developmental Biology; various small animal models used and give hands-on training on some modern biotechnological practices. A variety of teaching methods like lectures, discussion and laboratory work shall ...

  16. A small great history of the sister Societies of Developmental Biology in Spain and Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palmeirim, Isabel; Aréchaga, Juan

    2009-01-01

    We revise the historical evolution of the societies devoted to Developmental Biology from the early activities of the Institut International dEmbryologie (IIE), founded in 1911, with particular emphasis on the more recent constitution of the Spanish Sociedad Española de Biología del Desarrollo (SEBD), founded in 1994, and the Portuguese Sociedade Portuguesa de Biologia do Desenvolvimento (SPBD), founded in 2006. We also describe the role played by The International Journal of Developmental Biology (IJDB) in the constitution of the SEBD and its projection and support to international Developmental Biology societies and individual researchers in the world, according to its mission to be a non-for-profit publication for scientists, by scientists.

  17. The extracellular matrix of plants: Molecular, cellular and developmental biology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-12-31

    A symposium entitled ``The Extracellular Matrix of Plants: Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology was held in Tamarron, Colorado, March 15--21, 1996. The following topics were explored in addresses by 43 speakers: structure and biochemistry of cell walls; biochemistry, molecular biology and biosynthesis of lignin; secretory pathway and synthesis of glycoproteins; biosynthesis of matrix polysaccharides, callose and cellulose; role of the extracellular matrix in plant growth and development; plant cell walls in symbiosis and pathogenesis.

  18. Developmental "roots" in mature biological knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldberg, Robert F; Thompson-Schill, Sharon L

    2009-04-01

    Young children tend to claim that moving artifacts and nonliving natural kinds are alive, but neglect to ascribe life to plants. This research tested whether adults exhibit similar confusions when verifying life status in a speeded classification task. Experiment 1 showed that undergraduates encounter greater difficulty (reduced accuracy and increased response times) in determining life status for plants, relative to animals, and for natural and moving nonliving things, relative to artifacts and non-moving things. Experiment 2 replicated these effects in university biology professors. The professors showed a significantly reduced effect size for living things, as compared with the students, but still showed greater difficulty for plants than animals, even as no differences from the students were apparent in their responses to nonliving things. These results suggest that mature biological knowledge relies on a developmental foundation that is not radically overwritten or erased with the profound conceptual changes that accompany mastery of the domain.

  19. Student-oriented learning: an inquiry-based developmental biology lecture course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malacinski, George M

    2003-01-01

    In this junior-level undergraduate course, developmental life cycles exhibited by various organisms are reviewed, with special attention--where relevant--to the human embryo. Morphological features and processes are described and recent insights into the molecular biology of gene expression are discussed. Ways are studied in which model systems, including marine invertebrates, amphibia, fruit flies and other laboratory species are employed to elucidate general principles which apply to fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation and organogenesis. Special attention is given to insights into those topics which will soon be researched with data from the Human Genome Project. The learning experience is divided into three parts: Part I is a in which the Socratic (inquiry) method is employed by the instructor (GMM) to organize a review of classical developmental phenomena; Part II represents an in which students study the details related to the surveys included in Part I as they have been reported in research journals; Part III focuses on a class project--the preparation of a spiral bound on a topic of relevance to human developmental biology (e.g.,Textbook of Embryonal Stem Cells). Student response to the use of the Socratic method increases as the course progresses and represents the most successful aspect of the course.

  20. Applied Developmental Biology: Making Human Pancreatic Beta Cells for Diabetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melton, Douglas A

    2016-01-01

    Understanding the genes and signaling pathways that determine the differentiation and fate of a cell is a central goal of developmental biology. Using that information to gain mastery over the fates of cells presents new approaches to cell transplantation and drug discovery for human diseases including diabetes. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Zengrong; Huangfu, Danwei

    2013-02-01

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

  2. Role of epigenetics in developmental biology and transgenerational inheritance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skinner, Michael K

    2011-03-01

    The molecular mechanisms involved in developmental biology and cellular differentiation have traditionally been considered to be primarily genetic. Environmental factors that influence early life critical windows of development generally do not have the capacity to modify genome sequence, nor promote permanent genetic modifications. Epigenetics provides a molecular mechanism for environment to influence development, program cellular differentiation, and alter the genetic regulation of development. The current review discusses how epigenetics can cooperate with genetics to regulate development and allow for greater plasticity in response to environmental influences. This impacts area such as cellular differentiation, tissue development, environmental induced disease etiology, epigenetic transgenerational inheritance, and the general systems biology of organisms and evolution. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. Imaging and elemental mapping of biological specimens with a dual-EDS dedicated scanning transmission electron microscope

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, J.S.; Kim, A. M.; Bleher, R.; Myers, B.D.; Marvin, R. G.; Inada, H.; Nakamura, K.; Zhang, X.F.; Roth, E.; Li, S.Y.; Woodruff, T. K.; O'Halloran, T. V.; Dravid, Vinayak P.

    2013-01-01

    A dedicated analytical scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) with dual energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detectors has been designed for complementary high performance imaging as well as high sensitivity elemental analysis and mapping of biological structures. The performance of this new design, based on a Hitachi HD-2300A model, was evaluated using a variety of biological specimens. With three imaging detectors, both the surface and internal structure of cells can be examined simultaneously. The whole-cell elemental mapping, especially of heavier metal species that have low cross-section for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), can be faithfully obtained. Optimization of STEM imaging conditions is applied to thick sections as well as thin sections of biological cells under low-dose conditions at room- and cryogenic temperatures. Such multimodal capabilities applied to soft/biological structures usher a new era for analytical studies in biological systems. PMID:23500508

  4. A Drosophila LexA Enhancer-Trap Resource for Developmental Biology and Neuroendocrine Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lutz Kockel

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Novel binary gene expression tools like the LexA-LexAop system could powerfully enhance studies of metabolism, development, and neurobiology in Drosophila. However, specific LexA drivers for neuroendocrine cells and many other developmentally relevant systems remain limited. In a unique high school biology course, we generated a LexA-based enhancer trap collection by transposon mobilization. The initial collection provides a source of novel LexA-based elements that permit targeted gene expression in the corpora cardiaca, cells central for metabolic homeostasis, and other neuroendocrine cell types. The collection further contains specific LexA drivers for stem cells and other enteric cells in the gut, and other developmentally relevant tissue types. We provide detailed analysis of nearly 100 new LexA lines, including molecular mapping of insertions, description of enhancer-driven reporter expression in larval tissues, and adult neuroendocrine cells, comparison with established enhancer trap collections and tissue specific RNAseq. Generation of this open-resource LexA collection facilitates neuroendocrine and developmental biology investigations, and shows how empowering secondary school science can achieve research and educational goals.

  5. Unconventional transport routes of soluble and membrane proteins and their role in developmental biology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pompa, A.; De Marchis, F.; Pallotta, M. T.; Benitez-Alfonso, Y.; Jones, A.; Schipper, K.; Moreau, K.; Žárský, Viktor; Di Sansebastiano, G. P.; Bellucci, M.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 18, č. 4 (2017), č. článku 703. E-ISSN 1422-0067 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : Autophagy * Exosomes * Intercellular channels * Leaderless proteins * Protein secretion * Trafficking mechanisms * Unconventional secretion Subject RIV: EA - Cell Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 3.226, year: 2016

  6. Spatiotemporal network motif reveals the biological traits of developmental gene regulatory networks in Drosophila melanogaster

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kim Man-Sun

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Network motifs provided a “conceptual tool” for understanding the functional principles of biological networks, but such motifs have primarily been used to consider static network structures. Static networks, however, cannot be used to reveal time- and region-specific traits of biological systems. To overcome this limitation, we proposed the concept of a “spatiotemporal network motif,” a spatiotemporal sequence of network motifs of sub-networks which are active only at specific time points and body parts. Results On the basis of this concept, we analyzed the developmental gene regulatory network of the Drosophila melanogaster embryo. We identified spatiotemporal network motifs and investigated their distribution pattern in time and space. As a result, we found how key developmental processes are temporally and spatially regulated by the gene network. In particular, we found that nested feedback loops appeared frequently throughout the entire developmental process. From mathematical simulations, we found that mutual inhibition in the nested feedback loops contributes to the formation of spatial expression patterns. Conclusions Taken together, the proposed concept and the simulations can be used to unravel the design principle of developmental gene regulatory networks.

  7. Eco-Evo-Devo: developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity as evolutionary agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, Scott F; Bosch, Thomas C G; Ledón-Rettig, Cristina

    2015-10-01

    The integration of research from developmental biology and ecology into evolutionary theory has given rise to a relatively new field, ecological evolutionary developmental biology (Eco-Evo-Devo). This field integrates and organizes concepts such as developmental symbiosis, developmental plasticity, genetic accommodation, extragenic inheritance and niche construction. This Review highlights the roles that developmental symbiosis and developmental plasticity have in evolution. Developmental symbiosis can generate particular organs, can produce selectable genetic variation for the entire animal, can provide mechanisms for reproductive isolation, and may have facilitated evolutionary transitions. Developmental plasticity is crucial for generating novel phenotypes, facilitating evolutionary transitions and altered ecosystem dynamics, and promoting adaptive variation through genetic accommodation and niche construction. In emphasizing such non-genomic mechanisms of selectable and heritable variation, Eco-Evo-Devo presents a new layer of evolutionary synthesis.

  8. Language cannot be reduced to biology: perspectives from neuro-developmental disorders affecting language learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasanta, D

    2005-02-01

    The study of language knowledge guided by a purely biological perspective prioritizes the study of syntax. The essential process of syntax is recursion--the ability to generate an infinite array of expressions from a limited set of elements. Researchers working within the biological perspective argue that this ability is possible only because of an innately specified genetic makeup that is specific to human beings. Such a view of language knowledge may be fully justified in discussions on biolinguistics, and in evolutionary biology. However, it is grossly inadequate in understanding language-learning problems, particularly those experienced by children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as developmental dyslexia, Williams syndrome, specific language impairment and autism spectrum disorders. Specifically, syntax-centered definitions of language knowledge completely ignore certain crucial aspects of language learning and use, namely, that language is embedded in a social context; that the role of envrironmental triggering as a learning mechanism is grossly underestimated; that a considerable extent of visuo-spatial information accompanies speech in day-to-day communication; that the developmental process itself lies at the heart of knowledge acquisition; and that there is a tremendous variation in the orthographic systems associated with different languages. All these (socio-cultural) factors can influence the rate and quality of spoken and written language acquisition resulting in much variation in phenotypes associated with disorders known to have a genetic component. Delineation of such phenotypic variability requires inputs from varied disciplines such as neurobiology, neuropsychology, linguistics and communication disorders. In this paper, I discuss published research that questions cognitive modularity and emphasises the role of the environment for understanding linguistic capabilities of children with neuro-developmental disorders. The discussion pertains

  9. Integration of a Faculty's Ongoing Research into an Undergraduate Laboratory Teaching Class in Developmental Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nam, Sang-Chul

    2018-01-01

    Traditional developmental biology laboratory classes have utilized a number of different model organisms to allow students to be exposed to diverse biological phenomena in developing organisms. This traditional approach has mainly focused on the diverse morphological and anatomical descriptions of the developing organisms. However, modern…

  10. Micro-computed tomography imaging and analysis in developmental biology and toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wise, L David; Winkelmann, Christopher T; Dogdas, Belma; Bagchi, Ansuman

    2013-06-01

    Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a high resolution imaging technique that has expanded and strengthened in use since it was last reviewed in this journal in 2004. The technology has expanded to include more detailed analysis of bone, as well as soft tissues, by use of various contrast agents. It is increasingly applied to questions in developmental biology and developmental toxicology. Relatively high-throughput protocols now provide a powerful and efficient means to evaluate embryos and fetuses subjected to genetic manipulations or chemical exposures. This review provides an overview of the technology, including scanning, reconstruction, visualization, segmentation, and analysis of micro-CT generated images. This is followed by a review of more recent applications of the technology in some common laboratory species that highlight the diverse issues that can be addressed. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Developmental Origins of Biological Explanations: The case of infants' internal property bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taborda-Osorio, Hernando; Cheries, Erik W

    2017-10-01

    People's explanations about the biological world are heavily biased toward internal, non-obvious properties. Adults and children as young as 5 years of age find internal properties more causally central than external features for explaining general biological processes and category membership. In this paper, we describe how this 'internal property bias' may be grounded in two different developmental precursors observed in studies with infants: (1) an early understanding of biological agency that is apparent in infants' reasoning about animals, and (2) the acquisition of kind-based representations that distinguish between essential and accidental properties, spanning from animals to artifacts. We argue that these precursors may support the progressive construction of the notion of biological kinds and explanations during childhood. Shortly after their first year of life, infants seem to represent the internal properties of animates as more central and identity-determining that external properties. Over time, this skeletal notion of biological kinds is integrated into diverse explanations about kind membership and biological processes, with an increasingly better understanding of the causal role of internal properties.

  12. Cell Migration Analysis: A Low-Cost Laboratory Experiment for Cell and Developmental Biology Courses Using Keratocytes from Fish Scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto, Daniel; Aparicio, Gonzalo; Sotelo-Silveira, Jose R.

    2017-01-01

    Cell and developmental processes are complex, and profoundly dependent on spatial relationships that change over time. Innovative educational or teaching strategies are always needed to foster deep comprehension of these processes and their dynamic features. However, laboratory exercises in cell and developmental biology at the undergraduate level…

  13. Descriptive Developmental Research: Why Only Time?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Labouvie, Erich W.

    1975-01-01

    The usefulness of the concepts of cohort and time of measurement in descriptive developmental research was examined by comparing the time-specific cross-sectional and cohort-specific longitudinal age gradients of stable and unstable children. (Author/ED)

  14. Highly Adaptable but Not Invulnerable: Necessary and Facilitating Conditions for Research in Evolutionary Developmental Biology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Laudel, Grit; Benninghoff, Martin; Lettkemann, Eric; Håkansson, Elias; Whitley, Richard; Gläser, Jochen

    2014-01-01

    Evolutionary developmental biology is a highly variable scientific innovation because researchers can adapt their involvement in the innovation to the opportunities provided by their environment. On the basis of comparative case studies in four countries, we link epistemic properties of research

  15. Cell migration analysis: A low-cost laboratory experiment for cell and developmental biology courses using keratocytes from fish scales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prieto, Daniel; Aparicio, Gonzalo; Sotelo-Silveira, Jose R

    2017-11-01

    Cell and developmental processes are complex, and profoundly dependent on spatial relationships that change over time. Innovative educational or teaching strategies are always needed to foster deep comprehension of these processes and their dynamic features. However, laboratory exercises in cell and developmental biology at the undergraduate level do not often take into account the time dimension. In this article, we provide a laboratory exercise focused in cell migration, aiming to stimulate thinking in time and space dimensions through a simplification of more complex processes occurring in cell or developmental biology. The use of open-source tools for the analysis, as well as the whole package of raw results (available at http://github.com/danielprieto/keratocyte) make it suitable for its implementation in courses with very diverse budgets. Aiming to facilitate the student's transition from science-students to science-practitioners we propose an exercise of scientific thinking, and an evaluation method. This in turn is communicated here to facilitate the finding of common caveats and weaknesses in the process of producing simple scientific communications describing the results achieved. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(6):475-482, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  16. The Comet Cometh: Evolving Developmental Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaeger, Johannes; Laubichler, Manfred; Callebaut, Werner

    In a recent opinion piece, Denis Duboule has claimed that the increasing shift towards systems biology is driving evolutionary and developmental biology apart, and that a true reunification of these two disciplines within the framework of evolutionary developmental biology (EvoDevo) may easily take another 100 years. He identifies methodological, epistemological, and social differences as causes for this supposed separation. Our article provides a contrasting view. We argue that Duboule's prediction is based on a one-sided understanding of systems biology as a science that is only interested in functional, not evolutionary, aspects of biological processes. Instead, we propose a research program for an evolutionary systems biology, which is based on local exploration of the configuration space in evolving developmental systems. We call this approach-which is based on reverse engineering, simulation, and mathematical analysis-the natural history of configuration space. We discuss a number of illustrative examples that demonstrate the past success of local exploration, as opposed to global mapping, in different biological contexts. We argue that this pragmatic mode of inquiry can be extended and applied to the mathematical analysis of the developmental repertoire and evolutionary potential of evolving developmental mechanisms and that evolutionary systems biology so conceived provides a pragmatic epistemological framework for the EvoDevo synthesis.

  17. Structure of catalase determined by MicroED

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nannenga, Brent L; Shi, Dan; Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E; Gonen, Tamir

    2014-01-01

    MicroED is a recently developed method that uses electron diffraction for structure determination from very small three-dimensional crystals of biological material. Previously we used a series of still diffraction patterns to determine the structure of lysozyme at 2.9 Å resolution with MicroED (Shi et al., 2013). Here we present the structure of bovine liver catalase determined from a single crystal at 3.2 Å resolution by MicroED. The data were collected by continuous rotation of the sample under constant exposure and were processed and refined using standard programs for X-ray crystallography. The ability of MicroED to determine the structure of bovine liver catalase, a protein that has long resisted atomic analysis by traditional electron crystallography, demonstrates the potential of this method for structure determination. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03600.001 PMID:25303172

  18. Coalescent models for developmental biology and the spatio-temporal dynamics of growing tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smadbeck, Patrick; Stumpf, Michael P H

    2016-04-01

    Development is a process that needs to be tightly coordinated in both space and time. Cell tracking and lineage tracing have become important experimental techniques in developmental biology and allow us to map the fate of cells and their progeny. A generic feature of developing and homeostatic tissues that these analyses have revealed is that relatively few cells give rise to the bulk of the cells in a tissue; the lineages of most cells come to an end quickly. Computational and theoretical biologists/physicists have, in response, developed a range of modelling approaches, most notably agent-based modelling. These models seem to capture features observed in experiments, but can also become computationally expensive. Here, we develop complementary genealogical models of tissue development that trace the ancestry of cells in a tissue back to their most recent common ancestors. We show that with both bounded and unbounded growth simple, but universal scaling relationships allow us to connect coalescent theory with the fractal growth models extensively used in developmental biology. Using our genealogical perspective, it is possible to study bulk statistical properties of the processes that give rise to tissues of cells, without the need for large-scale simulations. © 2016 The Authors.

  19. Multidisciplinary approaches to understanding collective cell migration in developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumacher, Linus J; Kulesa, Paul M; McLennan, Rebecca; Baker, Ruth E; Maini, Philip K

    2016-06-01

    Mathematical models are becoming increasingly integrated with experimental efforts in the study of biological systems. Collective cell migration in developmental biology is a particularly fruitful application area for the development of theoretical models to predict the behaviour of complex multicellular systems with many interacting parts. In this context, mathematical models provide a tool to assess the consistency of experimental observations with testable mechanistic hypotheses. In this review, we showcase examples from recent years of multidisciplinary investigations of neural crest cell migration. The neural crest model system has been used to study how collective migration of cell populations is shaped by cell-cell interactions, cell-environmental interactions and heterogeneity between cells. The wide range of emergent behaviours exhibited by neural crest cells in different embryonal locations and in different organisms helps us chart out the spectrum of collective cell migration. At the same time, this diversity in migratory characteristics highlights the need to reconcile or unify the array of currently hypothesized mechanisms through the next generation of experimental data and generalized theoretical descriptions. © 2016 The Authors.

  20. Socioemotional, Personality, and Biological Development: Illustrations from a Multilevel Developmental Psychopathology Perspective on Child Maltreatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicchetti, Dante

    2016-01-01

    Developmental theories can be affirmed, challenged, and augmented by incorporating knowledge about atypical ontogenesis. Investigations of the biological, socioemotional, and personality development in individuals with high-risk conditions and psychopathological disorders can provide an entrée into the study of system organization, disorganization, and reorganization. This article examines child maltreatment to illustrate the benefit that can be derived from the study of individuals subjected to nonnormative caregiving experiences. Relative to an average expectable environment, which consists of a species-specific range of environmental conditions that support adaptive development among genetically normal individuals, maltreating families fail to provide many of the experiences that are required for normal development. Principles gleaned from the field of developmental psychopathology provide a framework for understanding multilevel functioning in normality and pathology. Knowledge of normative developmental processes provides the impetus to design and implement randomized control trial (RCT) interventions that can promote resilient functioning in maltreated children.

  1. Development of Fourier domain optical coherence tomography for applications in developmental biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davis, Anjul Maheshwari

    Developmental biology is a field in which explorations are made to answer how an organism transforms from a single cell to a complex system made up of trillions of highly organized and highly specified cells. This field, however, is not just for discovery, it is crucial for unlocking factors that lead to diseases, defects, or malformations. The one key ingredient that contributes to the success of studies in developmental biology is the technology that is available for use. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is one such technology. OCT fills a niche between the high resolution of confocal microscopy and deep imaging penetration of ultrasound. Developmental studies of the chicken embryo heart are of great interest. Studies in mature hearts, zebrafish animal models, and to a more limited degree chicken embryos, indicate a relationship between blood flow and development. It is believed that at the earliest stages, when the heart is still a tube, the purpose of blood flow is not for convective transport of oxygen, nutrients and waster, bur rather to induce shear-related gene expressions to induce further development. Yet, to this date, the simple question of "what makes blood flow?" has not been answered. This is mainly due limited availability to adequate imaging and blood flow measurement tools. Earlier work has demonstrated the potential of OCT for use in studying chicken embryo heart development, however quantitative measurement techniques still needed to be developed. In this dissertation I present technological developments I have made towards building an OCT system to study chick embryo heart development. I will describe: (1) a swept-source OCT with extended imaging depth; (2) a spectral domain OCT system for non-invasive small animal imaging; (3) Doppler flow imaging and techniques for quantitative blood flow measurement in living chicken embryos; and (4) application of the OCT system that was developed in the Specific Aims 2-5 to test hypotheses generated by a

  2. Biological and Psychosocial Processes in the Development of Children’s Appetitive Traits: Insights from Developmental Theory and Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Catherine G. Russell

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available There has been increasing concern expressed about children’s food intakes and dietary patterns. These are closely linked to children’s appetitive traits (such as disinhibited eating and food fussiness/neophobia. Research has examined both biological and psychosocial correlates or predictors of these traits. There has been less focus on possible processes or mechanisms associated with children’s development of these traits and research that links biological and psychosocial factors. There is an absence of research that links biological and psychosocial factors. In the present article, we outline a model intended to facilitate theory and research on the development of appetitive traits. It is based on scholarship from developmental theory and research and incorporates biological factors such as genetic predispositions and temperament as well as psychosocial factors in terms of parent cognitions, feeding styles and feeding practices. Particular attention is directed to aspects such as emotional eating and feeding, self-regulation of energy intake, and non-shared family environments. We highlight the opportunity for longitudinal research that examines bidirectional, transactional and cascade processes and uses a developmental framework. The model provides a basis for connecting the biological foundations of appetitive traits to system-level analysis in the family. Knowledge generated through the application of the model should lead to more effective prevention and intervention initiatives.

  3. Neural crest cells: from developmental biology to clinical interventions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noisa, Parinya; Raivio, Taneli

    2014-09-01

    Neural crest cells are multipotent cells, which are specified in embryonic ectoderm in the border of neural plate and epiderm during early development by interconnection of extrinsic stimuli and intrinsic factors. Neural crest cells are capable of differentiating into various somatic cell types, including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage and bone, smooth muscle, and peripheral nervous cells, which supports their promise for cell therapy. In this work, we provide a comprehensive review of wide aspects of neural crest cells from their developmental biology to applicability in medical research. We provide a simplified model of neural crest cell development and highlight the key external stimuli and intrinsic regulators that determine the neural crest cell fate. Defects of neural crest cell development leading to several human disorders are also mentioned, with the emphasis of using human induced pluripotent stem cells to model neurocristopathic syndromes. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Building a developmental toxicity ontology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, Nancy; Boobis, Alan; Burgoon, Lyle; Carney, Edward; Currie, Richard; Fritsche, Ellen; Knudsen, Thomas; Laffont, Madeleine; Piersma, Aldert H; Poole, Alan; Schneider, Steffen; Daston, George

    2018-04-03

    As more information is generated about modes of action for developmental toxicity and more data are generated using high-throughput and high-content technologies, it is becoming necessary to organize that information. This report discussed the need for a systematic representation of knowledge about developmental toxicity (i.e., an ontology) and proposes a method to build one based on knowledge of developmental biology and mode of action/ adverse outcome pathways in developmental toxicity. This report is the result of a consensus working group developing a plan to create an ontology for developmental toxicity that spans multiple levels of biological organization. This report provide a description of some of the challenges in building a developmental toxicity ontology and outlines a proposed methodology to meet those challenges. As the ontology is built on currently available web-based resources, a review of these resources is provided. Case studies on one of the most well-understood morphogens and developmental toxicants, retinoic acid, are presented as examples of how such an ontology might be developed. This report outlines an approach to construct a developmental toxicity ontology. Such an ontology will facilitate computer-based prediction of substances likely to induce human developmental toxicity. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Atrial natriuretic peptide regulates Ca channel in early developmental cardiomyocytes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lin Miao

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cardiomyocytes derived from murine embryonic stem (ES cells possess various membrane currents and signaling cascades link to that of embryonic hearts. The role of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP in regulation of membrane potentials and Ca(2+ currents has not been investigated in developmental cardiomyocytes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the role of ANP in regulating L-type Ca(2+ channel current (I(CaL in different developmental stages of cardiomyocytes derived from ES cells. ANP decreased the frequency of action potentials (APs in early developmental stage (EDS cardiomyocytes, embryonic bodies (EB as well as whole embryo hearts. ANP exerted an inhibitory effect on basal I(CaL in about 70% EDS cardiomyocytes tested but only in about 30% late developmental stage (LDS cells. However, after stimulation of I(CaL by isoproterenol (ISO in LDS cells, ANP inhibited the response in about 70% cells. The depression of I(CaL induced by ANP was not affected by either Nomega, Nitro-L-Arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthetase (NOS inhibitor, or KT5823, a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG selective inhibitor, in either EDS and LDS cells; whereas depression of I(CaL by ANP was entirely abolished by erythro-9-(2-Hydroxy-3-nonyl adenine (EHNA, a selective inhibitor of type 2 phosphodiesterase(PDE2 in most cells tested. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCES: Taken together, these results indicate that ANP induced depression of action potentials and I(CaL is due to activation of particulate guanylyl cyclase (GC, cGMP production and cGMP-activation of PDE2 mediated depression of adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophophate (cAMP-cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA in early cardiomyogenesis.

  6. Biological fundamentals. 2. completely rev. ed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sahm, H. (ed.) (Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany). Inst. fuer Biotechnologie)

    1993-01-01

    This fully revised and expanded Second Edition takes into account all recent developments in biotechnology. It is extraordinarily broad in scope, up-to-date, carefully structured and wellbalanced. 'Biotechnology' considers both basic concepts and widely-differing industrial applications: It is a successful synthesis of theory and practice. Any scientist aiming for success in industrial microbiology, biochemistry, molecular biology and chemical engineering must turn to 'Biotechnology'. Everybody involved in biotechnology will appreciate having this volume at their fingertips. It offers a unique collection of current information on the basic biology (ecology, taxonomy, biochemistry, physiology, and genetics) of industrially important organisms. This book contains the background material indispensable for the development of biotechnological processes. Topics included are: - Cell Structure, - Metabolism, - Growth of Microorganisms, - Metabolic Design, - Immobilized Organisms, - Methylotrophs, - Pseudomonas, - Yeasts, - Filamentous Fungi, - Bacteriophages, - Cell Cultures. (orig.)

  7. Natural Killer T Cells: An Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Amrendra; Suryadevara, Naveenchandra; Hill, Timothy M; Bezbradica, Jelena S; Van Kaer, Luc; Joyce, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    Type I natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC class I-like protein CD1d. Agonistic activation of NKT cells leads to rapid pro-inflammatory and immune modulatory cytokine and chemokine responses. This property of NKT cells, in conjunction with their interactions with antigen-presenting cells, controls downstream innate and adaptive immune responses against cancers and infectious diseases, as well as in several inflammatory disorders. NKT cell properties are acquired during development in the thymus and by interactions with the host microbial consortium in the gut, the nature of which can be influenced by NKT cells. This latter property, together with the role of the host microbiota in cancer therapy, necessitates a new perspective. Hence, this review provides an initial approach to understanding NKT cells from an ecological evolutionary developmental biology (eco-evo-devo) perspective.

  8. Natural Killer T Cells: An Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Amrendra; Suryadevara, Naveenchandra; Hill, Timothy M.; Bezbradica, Jelena S.; Van Kaer, Luc; Joyce, Sebastian

    2017-01-01

    Type I natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC class I-like protein CD1d. Agonistic activation of NKT cells leads to rapid pro-inflammatory and immune modulatory cytokine and chemokine responses. This property of NKT cells, in conjunction with their interactions with antigen-presenting cells, controls downstream innate and adaptive immune responses against cancers and infectious diseases, as well as in several inflammatory disorders. NKT cell properties are acquired during development in the thymus and by interactions with the host microbial consortium in the gut, the nature of which can be influenced by NKT cells. This latter property, together with the role of the host microbiota in cancer therapy, necessitates a new perspective. Hence, this review provides an initial approach to understanding NKT cells from an ecological evolutionary developmental biology (eco-evo-devo) perspective. PMID:29312339

  9. Natural Killer T Cells: An Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amrendra Kumar

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Type I natural killer T (NKT cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC class I-like protein CD1d. Agonistic activation of NKT cells leads to rapid pro-inflammatory and immune modulatory cytokine and chemokine responses. This property of NKT cells, in conjunction with their interactions with antigen-presenting cells, controls downstream innate and adaptive immune responses against cancers and infectious diseases, as well as in several inflammatory disorders. NKT cell properties are acquired during development in the thymus and by interactions with the host microbial consortium in the gut, the nature of which can be influenced by NKT cells. This latter property, together with the role of the host microbiota in cancer therapy, necessitates a new perspective. Hence, this review provides an initial approach to understanding NKT cells from an ecological evolutionary developmental biology (eco-evo-devo perspective.

  10. Information fluency for undergraduate biology majors: applications of inquiry-based learning in a developmental biology course.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gehring, Kathleen M; Eastman, Deborah A

    2008-01-01

    Many initiatives for the improvement of undergraduate science education call for inquiry-based learning that emphasizes investigative projects and reading of the primary literature. These approaches give students an understanding of science as a process and help them integrate content presented in courses. At the same time, general initiatives to promote information fluency are being promoted on many college and university campuses. Information fluency refers to discipline-specific processing of information, and it involves integration of gathered information with specific ideas to form logical conclusions. We have implemented the use of inquiry-based learning to enhance and study discipline-specific information fluency skills in an upper-level undergraduate Developmental Biology course. In this study, an information literacy tutorial and a set of linked assignments using primary literature analysis were integrated with two inquiry-based laboratory research projects. Quantitative analysis of student responses suggests that the abilities of students to identify and apply valid sources of information were enhanced. Qualitative assessment revealed a set of patterns by which students gather and apply information. Self-assessment responses indicated that students recognized the impact of the assignments on their abilities to gather and apply information and that they were more confident about these abilities for future biology courses and beyond.

  11. Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly

    2015-01-01

    Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed "misconceptions," among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists…

  12. The grassblade beyond Newton: the pragmatizing of Kant for evolutionary-developmental biology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lenny Moss

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Much of the philosophical attention directed to Kant’s intervention into biology has been directed toward Kant’s idea of a transcendental limit upon what can be understood constitutively.  Kant’s own wider philosophical practice, however, was principally oriented toward solving problems and the scientific benefits of his methodology of teleology have been largely underappreciated, at least in the English language literature.  This paper suggests that all basic biology has had, and continues to have, a need for some form of heuristic “bracketing” and that a renewal of some form of, albeit flexible, teleological methodological bracketing can better complement the productive assimilation into developmental biology of continuing advances in our understanding of the mesoscale physics and chemistry of soft, excitable condensed matter, than what has been the prevailing and de facto use of a form of bracketing shaped by the neoDarwinian Modern Synthesis.  Further we offer a concept of biogeneric processes and a framework of physico-genetic “dynamical patterning modules”, that can begin to account for the appearance of new Kantian “stocks of Keime und Anlagen”, capable of potentiating some range of possible organismal forms, and provide grounds for moving up the teleological “goalposts”, i.e., expanding the range of what can be accounted for on a constitutive basis. 

  13. Basic and applied problems in developmental biology and immunobiology of cestode infections: Hymenolepis, Taenia and Echinococcus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ito, A

    2015-02-01

    Differentiation and development of parasites, including longevity in host animals, are thought to be governed by host-parasite interactions. In this review, several topics on the developmental biology of cestode infections are discussed from immunobiological perspective with a focus on Hymenolepis, Taenia and Echinococcus infections. The basic premise of this review is that 'differentiation and development of cestodes' are somehow affected by host immune responses with an evolutionary history. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Charles Darwin and the origins of plant evolutionary developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, William E; Diggle, Pamela K

    2011-04-01

    Much has been written of the early history of comparative embryology and its influence on the emergence of an evolutionary developmental perspective. However, this literature, which dates back nearly a century, has been focused on metazoans, without acknowledgment of the contributions of comparative plant morphologists to the creation of a developmental view of biodiversity. We trace the origin of comparative plant developmental morphology from its inception in the eighteenth century works of Wolff and Goethe, through the mid nineteenth century discoveries of the general principles of leaf and floral organ morphogenesis. Much like the stimulus that von Baer provided as a nonevolutionary comparative embryologist to the creation of an evolutionary developmental view of animals, the comparative developmental studies of plant morphologists were the basis for the first articulation of the concept that plant (namely floral) evolution results from successive modifications of ontogeny. Perhaps most surprisingly, we show that the first person to carefully read and internalize the remarkable advances in the understanding of plant morphogenesis in the 1840s and 1850s is none other than Charles Darwin, whose notebooks, correspondence, and (then) unpublished manuscripts clearly demonstrate that he had discovered the developmental basis for the evolutionary transformation of plant form.

  15. Life Span Developmental Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Eryilmaz

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The Life Span Developmental Approach examines development of individuals which occurs from birth to death. Life span developmental approach is a multi-disciplinary approach related with disciplines like psychology, psychiatry, sociology, anthropology and geriatrics that indicates the fact that development is not completed in adulthood, it continues during the life course. Development is a complex process that consists of dying and death. This approach carefully investigates the development of individuals with respect to developmental stages. This developmental approach suggests that scientific disciplines should not explain developmental facts only with age changes. Along with aging, cognitive, biological, and socioemotional development throughout life should also be considered to provide a reasonable and acceptable context, guideposts, and reasonable expectations for the person. There are three important subjects whom life span developmental approach deals with. These are nature vs nurture, continuity vs discontinuity, and change vs stability. Researchers using life span developmental approach gather and produce knowledge on these three most important domains of individual development with their unique scientific methodology.

  16. Stages in the development of a model organism as a platform for mechanistic models in developmental biology: Zebrafish, 1970-2000.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meunier, Robert

    2012-06-01

    Model organisms became an indispensable part of experimental systems in molecular developmental and cell biology, constructed to investigate physiological and pathological processes. They are thought to play a crucial role for the elucidation of gene function, complementing the sequencing of the genomes of humans and other organisms. Accordingly, historians and philosophers paid considerable attention to various issues concerning this aspect of experimental biology. With respect to the representational features of model organisms, that is, their status as models, the main focus was on generalization of phenomena investigated in such experimental systems. Model organisms have been said to be models for other organisms or a higher taxon. This, however, presupposes a representation of the phenomenon in question. I will argue that prior to generalization, model organisms allow researchers to built generative material models of phenomena - structures, processes or the mechanisms that explain them - through their integration in experimental set-ups that carve out the phenomena from the whole organism and thus represent them. I will use the history of zebrafish biology to show how model organism systems, from around 1970 on, were developed to construct material models of molecular mechanisms explaining developmental or physiological processes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. A relational developmental systems approach to moral development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpendale, Jeremy I M; Hammond, Stuart I; Atwood, Sherrie

    2013-01-01

    Morality and cooperation are central to human life. Psychological explanations for moral development and cooperative behavior will have biological and evolutionary dimensions, but they can differ radically in their approach to biology. In particular, many recent proposals have pursued the view that aspects of morality are innate. We briefly review and critique two of these claims. In contrast to these nativist assumptions about the role of biology in morality, we present an alternative approach based on a relational developmental systems view of moral development. The role for biology in this approach is in setting up the conditions--the developmental system--in which forms of interaction and later forms of thinking emerge.

  18. TED-Ed lessons & TED-Ed clubs: Educational activities to amplify students' voices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villias, Georgios

    2017-04-01

    TED-Ed lessons and TED-Ed clubs are two powerful educational tools that can be used in today's school classrooms in order to create an educational environment that is engaging for the students and favors their active participation, created and fostered by TED-Ed. TED-Ed is TED's educational initiative, committed to create lessons worth sharing and amplify the voices and ideas of teachers and students around the world. TED-Ed animated lessons are fully organized lessons structured around an animated video that introduces new topics to learners in an exciting, thought-provoking way. These lessons have been created as a result of the cooperation between expert educators and animators and have been uploaded at the TED-Ed platform (http://ed.ted.com). On the other hand, TED-Ed Clubs are also an interesting way to offer students the chance, the voice and the opportunity to express their thoughts, engage actively on these matters and connect with each other, both at a local, as well as at an international level (http://ed.ted.com/clubs). By developing new TED-Ed lessons or by customizing appropriately existing animated TED-Ed lessons (translating, modifying the questions asked, introducing new discussion topics), I have created and implemented in my student-centered, didactic approach, a series of TED-ED animated lessons directly connected with the Greek national science syllabus that were used to spark students curiosity and initiate a further analytical discussion or introduce other relevant educational activities (http://gvillias.wixsite.com/education). Furthermore, at my school, we established Varvakeio TED-Ed Club, an environment that supports and empowers our students to research, develop and disseminate their own personal ideas that worth spreading. During the year, our members were inspired by watching TED talks presented by experts on their field on various different areas, including social, economical, environmental and technological-scientific issues. Our aim

  19. Carryover effect of postpartum inflammatory diseases on developmental biology and fertility in lactating dairy cows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ribeiro, E S; Gomes, G; Greco, L F; Cerri, R L A; Vieira-Neto, A; Monteiro, P L J; Lima, F S; Bisinotto, R S; Thatcher, W W; Santos, J E P

    2016-03-01

    The objective of this series of studies was to investigate the effects of inflammatory diseases occurring before breeding on the developmental biology and reproductive responses in dairy cows. Data from 5 studies were used to investigate different questions associating health status before breeding and reproductive responses. Health information for all studies was composed of the incidence of retained fetal membranes, metritis, mastitis, lameness, and respiratory and digestive problems from parturition until the day of breeding. Retained placenta and metritis were grouped as uterine disease (UTD). Mastitis, lameness, digestive and respiratory problems were grouped as nonuterine diseases (NUTD). Study 1 evaluated the effect of disease before artificial insemination (AI), anovulation before synchronization of the estrous cycle, and low body condition score at AI on pregnancy per AI, as well as their potential interactions or additive effects. Study 2 investigated the effect of site of inflammation (UTD vs. NUTD) and time of occurrence relative to preantral or antral stages of ovulatory follicle development, and the effect of UTD and NUTD on fertility responses of cows bred by AI or by embryo transfer. Study 3 evaluated the effect of disease on fertilization and embryonic development to the morula stage. Study 4 evaluated the effect of disease on preimplantation conceptus development as well as secretion of IFN-τ and transcriptome. Study 5 investigated the effect of diseases before AI on the transcript expression of interferon-stimulated genes in peripheral blood leukocytes during peri-implantation stages of conceptus development after first AI postpartum. Altogether, these studies demonstrated that inflammatory disease before breeding reduced fertilization of oocytes and development to morula, and impaired early conceptus development to elongation stages and secretion of IFN-τ in the uterine lumen. Diseases caused inflammation-like changes in transcriptome of

  20. Are Students with Developmental Dyslexia Neurologically Different?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith-Phillips, Josephine

    1994-01-01

    Reviews the controversy over a biological basis for developmental dyslexia and illustrates it with two case studies of junior high school students. Reviews neurological evidence for developmental dyslexia, and proposes seven signs characteristic of reading disability that may qualify as dyslexia. (SR)

  1. Co-Occurrence of Developmental Disorders: The Case of Developmental Dyscalculia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubinsten, Orly

    2009-01-01

    Five to seven percent of children experience severe difficulties in learning mathematics and/or reading. Current trials that are focused on identifying biological markers suggest that these learning disabilities, known as Developmental Dyscalculia (DD) and Dyslexia (for reading), are due to underlying brain dysfunctions. One ongoing controversy…

  2. Where Do Epigenetics and Developmental Origins Take the Field of Developmental Psychopathology?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nigg, Joel T

    2016-04-01

    The time is ripe for upgrading or rethinking the assumed paradigms for how we study developmental psychopathology. The classic transactional models appear robust but need specification in terms of biological and psychosocial processes. That specification is increasingly tractable due to developments in genetics, epigenetics, the measurement of psychosocial processes, and theory and data on developmental origins of health and disease. This essay offers a high-level view of where the field has been and where it may be going in regard to nosology and conceptions of etiology. Remarks seek to consider rapidly evolving contexts not only for children, but also for the science itself due to progress in our field and in neighboring fields. Illustrations are provided as to how syndromal nosology can be enriched and advanced by careful integration with biologically relevant behavioral dimensions and application of quantitative methods. It is concluded that a revised, forward-looking, transactional model of abnormal child psychology will incorporate prenatal and postnatal developmental programming, epigenetic mechanisms and their associated genotype x environment interactions, and inflammatory processes as a potential common mediator influencing numerous health and mental health conditions.

  3. Modularity in developmental biology and artificial organs: a missing concept in tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenas, Petros; Luyten, Frank P; Doblare, Manuel; Nicodemou-Lena, Eleni; Lanzara, Andreina Elena

    2011-06-01

    Tissue engineering is reviving itself, adopting the concept of biomimetics of in vivo tissue development. A basic concept of developmental biology is the modularity of the tissue architecture according to which intermediates in tissue development constitute semiautonomous entities. Both engineering and nature have chosen the modular architecture to optimize the product or organism development and evolution. Bioartificial tissues do not have a modular architecture. On the contrary, artificial organs of modular architecture have been already developed in the field of artificial organs. Therefore the conceptual support of tissue engineering by the field of artificial organs becomes critical in its new endeavor of recapitulating in vitro the in vivo tissue development. © 2011, Copyright the Authors. Artificial Organs © 2011, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Dyneins: structure, biology and disease

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    King, Stephen M

    2012-01-01

    .... From bench to bedside, Dynein: Structure, Biology and Disease offers research on fundamental cellular processes to researchers and clinicians across developmental biology, cell biology, molecular biology, biophysics, biomedicine...

  5. 20170312 - Computer Simulation of Developmental ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rationale: Recent progress in systems toxicology and synthetic biology have paved the way to new thinking about in vitro/in silico modeling of developmental processes and toxicities, both for embryological and reproductive impacts. Novel in vitro platforms such as 3D organotypic culture models, engineered microscale tissues and complex microphysiological systems (MPS), together with computational models and computer simulation of tissue dynamics, lend themselves to a integrated testing strategies for predictive toxicology. As these emergent methodologies continue to evolve, they must be integrally tied to maternal/fetal physiology and toxicity of the developing individual across early lifestage transitions, from fertilization to birth, through puberty and beyond. Scope: This symposium will focus on how the novel technology platforms can help now and in the future, with in vitro/in silico modeling of complex biological systems for developmental and reproductive toxicity issues, and translating systems models into integrative testing strategies. The symposium is based on three main organizing principles: (1) that novel in vitro platforms with human cells configured in nascent tissue architectures with a native microphysiological environments yield mechanistic understanding of developmental and reproductive impacts of drug/chemical exposures; (2) that novel in silico platforms with high-throughput screening (HTS) data, biologically-inspired computational models of

  6. Inform@ed space

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerrum, Peter; Olsen, Kasper Nefer

    2001-01-01

    Inform@ed space Sensorial Perception And Computer Enchancement - bidrag til Nordisk Arkitekturforskningsforenings IT-konference, AAA april 2001.......Inform@ed space Sensorial Perception And Computer Enchancement - bidrag til Nordisk Arkitekturforskningsforenings IT-konference, AAA april 2001....

  7. The evolution of developmental programs : a case study in the gastropod mollusc Patella vulgata

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nederbragt, Alexander Johan

    2002-01-01

    At the interface between evolutionary biology and developmental biology is the so-called field of evolutionary developmental biology (‘evo-devo’ in short). This field asks how different adult animals (species) came into being by heritable changes during their embryonic development. One way to study

  8. Where is, in 2017, the evo in evo-devo (evolutionary developmental biology)?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diogo, Rui

    2018-01-01

    After the inaugural Pan-American-Evo-Devo meeting (2015, Berkeley), I showed how major concerns about evo-devo (Evolutionary Developmental Biology) research were demonstrated by a simple, non-biased quantitative analysis of the titles/abstracts of that meeting's talks. Here, I apply the same methodology to the titles/abstracts of the recent Pan-American-Evo-Devo meeting (2017, Calgary). The aim is to evaluate if the concerns raised by me in that paper and by other authors have been addressed and/or if there are other types of differences between the two meetings that may reflect trends within the field of evo-devo. This analysis shows that the proportion of presentations referring to "morphology", "organism", "selection", "adaptive", "phylogeny", and their derivatives was higher in the 2017 meeting, which therefore had a more "organismal" feel. However, there was a decrease in the use of "evolution"/its derivatives and of macroevolutionary terms related to the tempo and mode of evolution in the 2017 meeting. Moreover, the disproportionately high use of genetic/genomic terms clearly shows that evo-devo continues to be mainly focused on devo, and particularly on "Geno", that is, on molecular/genetic studies. Furthermore, the vast majority of animal evo-devo studies are focused only on hard tissues, which are just a small fraction of the whole organism-for example, only 15% of the tissue mass of the human body. The lack of an integrative approach is also evidenced by the lack of studies addressing conceptual/long-standing broader questions, including the links between ecology and particularly behavior and developmental/evolutionary variability and between evo-devo and evolutionary medicine. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. The role of mathematical models in understanding pattern formation in developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umulis, David M; Othmer, Hans G

    2015-05-01

    In a Wall Street Journal article published on April 5, 2013, E. O. Wilson attempted to make the case that biologists do not really need to learn any mathematics-whenever they run into difficulty with numerical issues, they can find a technician (aka mathematician) to help them out of their difficulty. He formalizes this in Wilsons Principle No. 1: "It is far easier for scientists to acquire needed collaboration from mathematicians and statisticians than it is for mathematicians and statisticians to find scientists able to make use of their equations." This reflects a complete misunderstanding of the role of mathematics in all sciences throughout history. To Wilson, mathematics is mere number crunching, but as Galileo said long ago, "The laws of Nature are written in the language of mathematics[Formula: see text] the symbols are triangles, circles and other geometrical figures, without whose help it is impossible to comprehend a single word." Mathematics has moved beyond the geometry-based model of Galileo's time, and in a rebuttal to Wilson, E. Frenkel has pointed out the role of mathematics in synthesizing the general principles in science (Both point and counter-point are available in Wilson and Frenkel in Notices Am Math Soc 60(7):837-838, 2013). We will take this a step further and show how mathematics has been used to make new and experimentally verified discoveries in developmental biology and how mathematics is essential for understanding a problem that has puzzled experimentalists for decades-that of how organisms can scale in size. Mathematical analysis alone cannot "solve" these problems since the validation lies at the molecular level, but conversely, a growing number of questions in biology cannot be solved without mathematical analysis and modeling. Herein, we discuss a few examples of the productive intercourse between mathematics and biology.

  10. Bio-EdIP: An automatic approach for in vitro cell confluence images quantification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cardona, Andrés; Ariza-Jiménez, Leandro; Uribe, Diego; Arroyave, Johanna C; Galeano, July; Cortés-Mancera, Fabian M

    2017-07-01

    Cell imaging is a widely-employed technique to analyze multiple biological processes. Therefore, simple, accurate and quantitative tools are needed to understand cellular events. For this purpose, Bio-EdIP was developed as a user-friendly tool to quantify confluence levels using cell culture images. The proposed algorithm combines a pre-processing step with subsequent stages that involve local processing techniques and a morphological reconstruction-based segmentation algorithm. Segmentation performance was assessed in three constructed image sets, comparing F-measure scores and AUC values (ROC analysis) for Bio-EdIP, its previous version and TScratch. Furthermore, segmentation results were compared with published algorithms using eight public benchmarks. Bio-EdIP automatically segmented cell-free regions from images of in vitro cell culture. Based on mean F-measure scores and ROC analysis, Bio-EdIP conserved a high performance regardless of image characteristics of the constructed dataset, when compared with its previous version and TScratch. Although acquisition quality of the public dataset affected Bio-EdIP segmentation, performance was better in two out of eight public sets. Bio-EdIP is a user-friendly interface, which is useful for the automatic analysis of confluence levels and cell growth processes using in vitro cell culture images. Here, we also presented new manually annotated data for algorithms evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Computer Simulation of Developmental Processes and ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rationale: Recent progress in systems toxicology and synthetic biology have paved the way to new thinking about in vitro/in silico modeling of developmental processes and toxicities, both for embryological and reproductive impacts. Novel in vitro platforms such as 3D organotypic culture models, engineered microscale tissues and complex microphysiological systems (MPS), together with computational models and computer simulation of tissue dynamics, lend themselves to a integrated testing strategies for predictive toxicology. As these emergent methodologies continue to evolve, they must be integrally tied to maternal/fetal physiology and toxicity of the developing individual across early lifestage transitions, from fertilization to birth, through puberty and beyond. Scope: This symposium will focus on how the novel technology platforms can help now and in the future, with in vitro/in silico modeling of complex biological systems for developmental and reproductive toxicity issues, and translating systems models into integrative testing strategies. The symposium is based on three main organizing principles: (1) that novel in vitro platforms with human cells configured in nascent tissue architectures with a native microphysiological environments yield mechanistic understanding of developmental and reproductive impacts of drug/chemical exposures; (2) that novel in silico platforms with high-throughput screening (HTS) data, biologically-inspired computational models of

  12. Computational Tools for Stem Cell Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bian, Qin; Cahan, Patrick

    2016-12-01

    For over half a century, the field of developmental biology has leveraged computation to explore mechanisms of developmental processes. More recently, computational approaches have been critical in the translation of high throughput data into knowledge of both developmental and stem cell biology. In the past several years, a new subdiscipline of computational stem cell biology has emerged that synthesizes the modeling of systems-level aspects of stem cells with high-throughput molecular data. In this review, we provide an overview of this new field and pay particular attention to the impact that single cell transcriptomics is expected to have on our understanding of development and our ability to engineer cell fate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. New EdF's three challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lepetit, V.

    2005-01-01

    The opening of 15% of Electricite de France (EdF) capital to the private sector will allow the first world electric utility to raise 7 billions of euros of cash flow. EdF will have also to face the new European situation: a strained market, several consolidations to come and many competitors to deal with. EdF has to re-launch its production tool and to reinforce its interconnection capacities if it wants to stay the number one of power exports in Europe. The integration of Edison company (Italy) by EdF gives access to new gas capacities but other resources have to be found if EdF wants to enlarge its gas offer. A new concentration era is foreseen in Europe and EdF will have to seize the economic growth opportunities in particular in Europe and China. (J.S.)

  14. Scaffolded biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minelli, Alessandro

    2016-09-01

    Descriptions and interpretations of the natural world are dominated by dichotomies such as organism vs. environment, nature vs. nurture, genetic vs. epigenetic, but in the last couple of decades strong dissatisfaction with those partitions has been repeatedly voiced and a number of alternative perspectives have been suggested, from perspectives such as Dawkins' extended phenotype, Turner's extended organism, Oyama's Developmental Systems Theory and Odling-Smee's niche construction theory. Last in time is the description of biological phenomena in terms of hybrids between an organism (scaffolded system) and a living or non-living scaffold, forming unit systems to study processes such as reproduction and development. As scaffold, eventually, we can define any resource used by the biological system, especially in development and reproduction, without incorporating it as happens in the case of resources fueling metabolism. Addressing biological systems as functionally scaffolded systems may help pointing to functional relationships that can impart temporal marking to the developmental process and thus explain its irreversibility; revisiting the boundary between development and metabolism and also regeneration phenomena, by suggesting a conceptual framework within which to investigate phenomena of regular hypermorphic regeneration such as characteristic of deer antlers; fixing a periodization of development in terms of the times at which a scaffolding relationship begins or is terminated; and promoting plant galls to legitimate study objects of developmental biology.

  15. How insights from cardiovascular developmental biology have impacted the care of infants and children with congenital heart disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chin, Alvin J.; Saint-Jeannet, Jean-Pierre; Lo, Cecilia W.

    2012-01-01

    To illustrate the impact developmental biology and genetics have already had on the clinical management of the million infants born worldwide each year with CHD, we have chosen three stories which have had particular relevance for pediatric cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, and cardiac nurses. First, we show how Margaret Kirby’s finding of the unexpected contribution of an ectodermal cell population – the cranial neural crest – to the aortic arch arteries and arterial pole of the embryonic avian heart provided a key impetus to the field of cardiovascular patterning. Recognition that a majority of patients affected by the neurocristopathy DiGeorge syndrome have a chromosome 22q11 deletion, have also spurred tremendous efforts to characterize the molecular mechanisms contributing to this pathology, assigning a major role to the transcription factor Tbx1. Second, synthesizing the work of the last two decades by many laboratories on a wide gamut of metazoans (invertebrates, tunicates, agnathans, teleosts, lungfish, amphibians, and amniotes), we review the >20 major modifications and additions to the ancient circulatory arrangement composed solely of a unicameral (one-chambered), contractile myocardial tube and a short proximal aorta. Two changes will be discussed in detail – the interposition of a second cardiac chamber in the circulation and the septation of the cardiac ventricle. By comparing the developmental genetic data of several model organisms, we can better understand the origin of the various components of the multicameral (multi-chambered) heart seen in humans. Third, Martina Brueckner’s discovery that a faulty axonemal dynein was responsible for the phenotype of the iv/iv mouse (the first mammalian model of human heterotaxy) focused attention on the biology of cilia. We discuss how even the care of the complex cardiac and non-cardiac anomalies seen in heterotaxy syndrome, which have long seemed impervious to

  16. Comparative developmental psychology: how is human cognitive development unique?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosati, Alexandra G; Wobber, Victoria; Hughes, Kelly; Santos, Laurie R

    2014-04-29

    The fields of developmental and comparative psychology both seek to illuminate the roots of adult cognitive systems. Developmental studies target the emergence of adult cognitive systems over ontogenetic time, whereas comparative studies investigate the origins of human cognition in our evolutionary history. Despite the long tradition of research in both of these areas, little work has examined the intersection of the two: the study of cognitive development in a comparative perspective. In the current article, we review recent work using this comparative developmental approach to study non-human primate cognition. We argue that comparative data on the pace and pattern of cognitive development across species can address major theoretical questions in both psychology and biology. In particular, such integrative research will allow stronger biological inferences about the function of developmental change, and will be critical in addressing how humans come to acquire species-unique cognitive abilities.

  17. New vistas for developmental biology

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Author Affiliations. Scott F Gilbert1 Rocky S Tuan2. Department of Biology, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, 1015 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA ...

  18. Molecular mechanisms of temperature-dependent sex determination in the context of ecological developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, Yuiko; Crews, David

    2012-05-06

    Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is a prime example of phenotypic plasticity in that gonadal sex is determined by the temperature of the incubating egg. In the red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta), the effect of temperature can be overridden by exogenous ligands, i.e., sex steroid hormones and steroid metabolism enzyme inhibitors, during the temperature-sensitive period (TSP) of development. Precisely how the physical signal of temperature is transduced into a biological signal that ultimately results in sex determination remains unknown. In this review, we discuss the sex determining pathway underlying TSD by focusing on two candidate sex determining genes, Forkhead box protein L2 (FoxL2) and Doublesex mab3- related transcription factor 1 (Dmrt1). They appear to be involved in transducing the environmental temperature signal into a biological signal that subsequently determines gonadal sex. FoxL2 and Dmrt1 exhibit gonad-typical patterns of expression in response to temperature during the TSP in the red-eared slider turtle. Further, the biologically active ligands regulate the expression of FoxL2 and Dmrt1 during development to modify gonad trajectory. The precise regulatory mechanisms of expression of these genes by temperature or exogenous ligands are not clear. However, the environment often influences developmental gene expression by altering the epigenetic status in regulatory regions. Here, we will discuss if the regulation of FoxL2 and Dmrt1 expression by environment is mediated through epigenetic mechanisms during development in species with TSD. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  19. Comparative analysis of biological effect of corannulene and graphene on developmental and sleep/wake profile of zebrafish larvae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xiang; Zhang, Yuan; Li, Xu; Feng, DaoFu; Zhang, ShuHui; Zhao, Xin; Chen, DongYan; Zhang, ZhiXiang; Feng, XiZeng

    2017-06-01

    Little is known about the biological effect of non-planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as corannulene on organisms. In this study, we compared the effect of corannulene (non-planar PAH) and graphene (planar PAH) on embryonic development and sleep/wake behaviors of larval zebrafish. First, the toxicity of graded doses of corannulene (1, 10, and 50μg/mL) was tested in developing zebrafish embryos. Corannulene showed minimal developmental toxicity only induced an epiboly delay. Further, a significant decrease in locomotion/increase in sleep was observed in larvae treated with the highest dose (50μg/mL) of corannulene while no significant locomotion alterations were induced by graphene. Finally, the effect of corannulene or graphene on the hypocretin (hcrt) system and sleep/wake regulators such as hcrt, hcrt G-protein coupled receptor (hcrtr), and arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase-2 (aanat2) was evaluated. Corannulene increased sleep and reduced locomotor activity and the expression of hcrt and hcrtr mRNA while graphene did not obviously disturb the sleep behavior and gene expression patterns. These results suggest that the corannulene has the potential to cause hypnosis-like behavior in larvae and provides a fundamental comparative understanding of the effects of corannulene and graphene on biology systems. Little is known about the biological effect of non-planar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as corannulene on organisms. Here, we compare the effect of corannulene (no-planar PAH) and graphene (planar PAH) on embryonic development and sleep/wake behaviors of larval zebrafish. And we aim to investigate the effect of curvature on biological system. First, toxicity of corannulene over the range of doses (1μg/mL, 10μg/mL and 50μg/mL) was tested in developing zebrafish embryos. Corannulene has minimal developmental toxicity, only incurred epiboly delay. Subsequently, a significant decrease in locomotion/increase in sleep at the highest

  20. Developmental windows and environment as important factors in the expression of genetic information: a cardiovascular physiologist's view

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kuneš, Jaroslav; Zicha, Josef

    2006-01-01

    Roč. 111, č. 5 (2006), s. 295-305 ISSN 0143-5221 R&D Projects: GA MZd(CZ) NR7786 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : developmental window * genetic determinants * environmental stimuli Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 3.263, year: 2006

  1. Endocrine disruptors: from Wingspread to environmental developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markey, Caroline M; Rubin, Beverly S; Soto, Ana M; Sonnenschein, Carlos

    2002-12-01

    The production and release of synthetic chemicals into the environment has been a hallmark of the "Second Industrial Revolution" and the "Green Revolution." Soon after the inception of these chemicals, anecdotal evidence began to emerge linking environmental contamination of rivers and lakes with a variety of developmental and reproductive abnormalities in wildlife species. The accumulation of evidence suggesting that these synthetic chemicals were detrimental to wildlife, and potentially humans, as a result of their hormonal activity, led to the proposal of the endocrine disruptor hypothesis at the 1991 Wingspread Conference. Since that time, experimental and epidemiological data have shown that exposure of the developing fetus or neonate to environmentally-relevant concentrations of certain synthetic chemicals causes morphological, biochemical, physiological and behavioral anomalies in both vertebrate and invertebrate species. The ubiquitous use, and subsequent human exposure, of one particular chemical, the estrogen mimic bisphenol A (BPA), is the subject of this present review. We have highlighted this chemical since it provides an arresting model of how chemical exposure impacts developmental processes involved in the morphogenesis of tissues and organs, including those of the male and female reproductive systems, the mammary glands and the brain.

  2. Developmental Perspectives on Nutrition and Obesity From Gestation to Adolescence

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, Terry T.; Esposito, Layla; Fisher, Jennifer O.; Mennella, Julie A.; Hoelscher, Deanna M.

    2009-01-01

    Obesity results from a complex combination of factors that act at many stages throughout a person's life. Therefore, examining childhood nutrition and obesity from a developmental perspective is warranted. A developmental perspective recognizes the cumulative effects of factors that contribute to eating behavior and obesity, including biological and socioenvironmental factors that are relevant at different stages of development. A developmental perspective considers family, school, and commun...

  3. Developmental language and speech disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spiel, G; Brunner, E; Allmayer, B; Pletz, A

    2001-09-01

    Speech disabilities (articulation deficits) and language disorders--expressive (vocabulary) receptive (language comprehension) are not uncommon in children. An overview of these along with a global description of the impairment of communication as well as clinical characteristics of language developmental disorders are presented in this article. The diagnostic tables, which are applied in the European and Anglo-American speech areas, ICD-10 and DSM-IV, have been explained and compared. Because of their strengths and weaknesses an alternative classification of language and speech developmental disorders is proposed, which allows a differentiation between expressive and receptive language capabilities with regard to the semantic and the morphological/syntax domains. Prevalence and comorbidity rates, psychosocial influences, biological factors and the biological social interaction have been discussed. The necessity of the use of standardized examinations is emphasised. General logopaedic treatment paradigms, specific therapy concepts and an overview of prognosis have been described.

  4. Characterising non-urgent users of the emergency department (ED): A retrospective analysis of routine ED data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Keeffe, Colin; Mason, Suzanne; Jacques, Richard; Nicholl, Jon

    2018-01-01

    The pressures of patient demand on emergency departments (EDs) continue to be reported worldwide, with an associated negative impact on ED crowding and waiting times. It has also been reported that a proportion of attendances to EDs in different international systems could be managed in settings such as primary care. This study used routine ED data to define, measure and profile non-urgent ED attendances that were suitable for management in alternative, non-emergency settings. We undertook a retrospective analysis of three years of Hospital Episode and Statistics Accident Emergency (HES A&E) data for one large region in England, United Kingdom (April 1st 2011 to March 31st 2014). Data was collected on all adult (>16 years) ED attendances from each of the 19 EDs in the region. A validated process based definition of non-urgent attendance was refined for this study and applied to the data. Using summary statistics non-urgent attenders were examined by variables hypothesised to influence them as follows: age at arrival, time of day and day of week and mode of arrival. Odds ratios were calculated to compare non-urgent attenders between groups. There were 3,667,601 first time attendances to EDs, of which 554,564 were defined as non-urgent (15.1%). Non-urgent attendances were significantly more likely to present out of hours than in hours (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.20, Paged 16-44) compared to those aged 45-64 (odds ratio: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.41 to 1.43, Puse the ED to obtain healthcare that could be provided in a less urgent setting and also more likely to do this out of hours. Alternative services are required to manage non-urgent demand, currently being borne by the ED and the ambulance service, particularly in out of hours.

  5. EDS operator and control software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ott, L.L.

    1985-04-01

    The Enrichment Diagnostic System (EDS) was developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to acquire, display and analyze large quantities of transient data for a real-time Advanced Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) experiment. Major topics discussed in this paper are the EDS operator interface (SHELL) program, the data acquisition and analysis scheduling software, and the graphics software. The workstation concept used in EDS, the software used to configure a user's workstation, and the ownership and management of a diagnostic are described. An EDS diagnostic is a combination of hardware and software designed to study specific aspects of the process. Overall system performance is discussed from the standpoint of scheduling techniques, evaluation tools, optimization techniques, and program-to-program communication methods. EDS is based on a data driven design which keeps the need to modify software to a minimum. This design requires a fast and reliable data base management system. A third party data base management product, Berkeley Software System Database, written explicitly for HP1000's, is used for all EDS data bases. All graphics is done with an in-house graphics product, Device Independent Graphics Library (DIGLIB). Examples of devices supported by DIGLIB are: Versatec printer/plotters, Raster Technologies Graphic Display Controllers, and HP terminals (HP264x and HP262x). The benefits derived by using HP hardware and software as well as obstacles imposed by the HP environment are presented in relation to EDS development and implementation

  6. edX e-learning course development

    CERN Document Server

    Gilbert, Matthew A

    2015-01-01

    If you are an educator creating a course for edX or a corporate trainer using Open edX for large-scale learning and development initiatives, then edX E-Learning Course Development is the ideal book for you.

  7. Predictors of 30-day mortality in patients admitted to ED for acute heart failure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchetti, Matthieu; Benedetti, Antoine; Mimoz, Olivier; Lardeur, Jean-Yves; Guenezan, Jérémy; Marjanovic, Nicolas

    2017-03-01

    Acute heart failure (AHF) is a leading cause of admission in emergency departments (ED). It is associated with significant in-hospital mortality, suggesting that there is room for improvement of care. Our aims were to investigate clinical patterns, biological characteristics and determinants of 30-day mortality. We conducted a single site, retrospective review of adult patients (≥18years) admitted to ED for AHF over a 12-month period. Data collected included demographics, clinical, biological and outcomes data. Epidemiologic data were collected at baseline, and patients were followed up during a 30-day period. There were a total of 322 patients. Mean age was 83.9±9.1years, and 47% of the patients were men. Among them, 59 patients (18.3%) died within 30days of admission to the ED. The following three characteristics were associated with increased mortality: age>85years (OR=1.5[95%CI:0.8-2.7], p=0.01), creatinine clearance 5000pg/mL (OR=2.2[95%CI:1.2-4], p<0.001). The best Nt-proBNP cut-off value to predict first-day mortality was 9000pg/mL (area under the curve (AUC) [95%CI] of 0.790 [0.634-0.935], p<0.001). For 7-day mortality, it was 7900pg/mL (0.698 [0.578-0.819], p<0.001) and for 30-day mortality, 5000pg/mL (0.667 [0.576-0.758], p<0.001). Nt-proBNP level on admission, age and creatinine clearance, are predictive of 30-day mortality in adult patients admitted to ED for AHF. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. ED-WAVE tool design approach: Case of a textile wastewater treatment plant in Blantyre, Malawi

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chipofya, V.; Kraslawski, A.; Avramenko, Y.

    The ED-WAVE tool is a PC based package for imparting training on wastewater treatment technologies. The system consists of four modules viz. Reference Library, Process Builder, Case Study Manager, and Treatment Adviser. The principles of case-based design and case-based reasoning as applied in the ED-WAVE tool are utilised in this paper to evaluate the design approach of the wastewater treatment plant at Mapeto David Whitehead & Sons (MDW&S) textile and garments factory, Blantyre, Malawi. The case being compared with MDW&S in the ED-WAVE tool is Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka (2003). Equalisation, coagulation and rotating biological contactors is the sequencing of treatment units at Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka. Screening, oxidation ditches and sedimentation is the sequencing of treatment units at MDW&S textile and garments factory. The study suggests that aerobic biological treatment is necessary in the treatment of wastewater from a textile and garments factory. MDW&S incorporates a sedimentation process which is necessary for the removal of settleable matter before the effluent is discharged to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The study confirmed the practical use of the ED-WAVE tool in the design of wastewater treatment systems, where after encountering a new situation; already collected decision scenarios (cases) are invoked and modified in order to arrive at a particular design alternative. What is necessary, however, is to appropriately modify the case arrived at through the Case Study Manager in order to come up with a design appropriate to the local situation taking into account technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects.

  9. Developmental Pathways Are Blueprints for Designing Successful Crops

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ben Trevaskis

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Genes controlling plant development have been studied in multiple plant systems. This has provided deep insights into conserved genetic pathways controlling core developmental processes including meristem identity, phase transitions, determinacy, stem elongation, and branching. These pathways control plant growth patterns and are fundamentally important to crop biology and agriculture. This review describes the conserved pathways that control plant development, using Arabidopsis as a model. Historical examples of how plant development has been altered through selection to improve crop performance are then presented. These examples, drawn from diverse crops, show how the genetic pathways controlling development have been modified to increase yield or tailor growth patterns to suit local growing environments or specialized crop management practices. Strategies to apply current progress in genomics and developmental biology to future crop improvement are then discussed within the broader context of emerging trends in plant breeding. The ways that knowledge of developmental processes and understanding of gene function can contribute to crop improvement, beyond what can be achieved by selection alone, are emphasized. These include using genome re-sequencing, mutagenesis, and gene editing to identify or generate novel variation in developmental genes. The expanding scope for comparative genomics, the possibility to engineer new developmental traits and new approaches to resolve gene–gene or gene–environment interactions are also discussed. Finally, opportunities to integrate fundamental research and crop breeding are highlighted.

  10. Developmental Plasticity in Child Growth and Maturation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ze'ev eHochberg

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available The ability of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to different environments is termed "plasticity", and is part of the organism's "adaptability" to environmental cues. The expressions of suites of genes, particularly during development or life-history transitions, probably underlie the fundamental plasticity of an organism. Plasticity in developmental programming has evolved in order to provide the best chances of survival and reproductive success to organisms under changing environments. Environmental conditions that are experienced in early life can profoundly influence human biology, child growth and maturation, and long-term health and longevity. Developmental origins of health and disease and life history transitions are purported to use placental, nutritional, and endocrine cues for setting long-term biological, mental, and behavioral strategies for child growth and maturation in response to local ecological and/or social conditions. The window of developmental plasticity extends from conception to early childhood, and even beyond to the transition from juvenility to adoelscence, and could be transmitted transgenerationally. It involves epigenetic responses to environmental changes, which exert their effects during life history phase-transitions.

  11. Evolutionary and developmental modules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacquaniti, Francesco; Ivanenko, Yuri P; d'Avella, Andrea; Zelik, Karl E; Zago, Myrka

    2013-01-01

    The identification of biological modules at the systems level often follows top-down decomposition of a task goal, or bottom-up decomposition of multidimensional data arrays into basic elements or patterns representing shared features. These approaches traditionally have been applied to mature, fully developed systems. Here we review some results from two other perspectives on modularity, namely the developmental and evolutionary perspective. There is growing evidence that modular units of development were highly preserved and recombined during evolution. We first consider a few examples of modules well identifiable from morphology. Next we consider the more difficult issue of identifying functional developmental modules. We dwell especially on modular control of locomotion to argue that the building blocks used to construct different locomotor behaviors are similar across several animal species, presumably related to ancestral neural networks of command. A recurrent theme from comparative studies is that the developmental addition of new premotor modules underlies the postnatal acquisition and refinement of several different motor behaviors in vertebrates.

  12. Developmental engineering: a new paradigm for the design and manufacturing of cell-based products. Part II: from genes to networks: tissue engineering from the viewpoint of systems biology and network science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenas, Petros; Moos, Malcolm; Luyten, Frank P

    2009-12-01

    The field of tissue engineering is moving toward a new concept of "in vitro biomimetics of in vivo tissue development." In Part I of this series, we proposed a theoretical framework integrating the concepts of developmental biology with those of process design to provide the rules for the design of biomimetic processes. We named this methodology "developmental engineering" to emphasize that it is not the tissue but the process of in vitro tissue development that has to be engineered. To formulate the process design rules in a rigorous way that will allow a computational design, we should refer to mathematical methods to model the biological process taking place in vitro. Tissue functions cannot be attributed to individual molecules but rather to complex interactions between the numerous components of a cell and interactions between cells in a tissue that form a network. For tissue engineering to advance to the level of a technologically driven discipline amenable to well-established principles of process engineering, a scientifically rigorous formulation is needed of the general design rules so that the behavior of networks of genes, proteins, or cells that govern the unfolding of developmental processes could be related to the design parameters. Now that sufficient experimental data exist to construct plausible mathematical models of many biological control circuits, explicit hypotheses can be evaluated using computational approaches to facilitate process design. Recent progress in systems biology has shown that the empirical concepts of developmental biology that we used in Part I to extract the rules of biomimetic process design can be expressed in rigorous mathematical terms. This allows the accurate characterization of manufacturing processes in tissue engineering as well as the properties of the artificial tissues themselves. In addition, network science has recently shown that the behavior of biological networks strongly depends on their topology and has

  13. PREFACE: EDS2010 Preface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heggie, Malcolm I.

    2011-03-01

    The biennial international conference on Extended Defects in Semiconductors started in 1978 with a meeting in Hünfeld, Germany. Subsequent meetings rotated between Poland, France, Great Britain, Germany, Russia and Italy, culminating in EDS2004 in Chernogolovka, EDS2006 in Halle and EDS2008 in Poitiers. EDS2010 was held at the University of Sussex at Brighton, UK from September 19th to 24th. An extension of the tabulation of this history, which first appeared on the EDS2006 website, is given in the attached PDF. It is with sadness that we note one of the founders of the series, Prof. Dr Helmut Alexander, passed away on 3 December 2009 and we were proud to dedicate EDS2010 to his memory. It has become a tradition to make an award in his name, and this year it was made to Ivan Isacov for his poster "Electrical levels of dislocation networks in p- and n-type silicon". A short and warm celebration of Prof. Dr Alexander's life by his friends and colleagues, Prof. Drs Helmut Gottschalk, Eicke Weber and Wolfgang Schröter, is included in this volume. The conference was a forum for the state-of-the-art of investigation and modelling of extended defects in semiconductors. Scientists from universities, research institutes and industry made contributions to a deeper understanding of extended defects, their interaction with point defects and their role in the development of semiconductor technology. The remit of the conference included extended defects, nanostructures, nanoparticles, quantum dots and interfaces within semiconducting materials ranging from narrow to wide band gaps, including graphene-derived materials and diamond. Scientific interests range from defect geometry, electronic structure, dynamics, spectroscopy, microscopy, reactions and chemistry to introduction mechanisms, such as implantation and strained layers and the operation of devices such as integrated circuits, heterostructures, and solar cells. The organisers were confronted with a long period between

  14. EdF: high tension(s) metamorphosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roussely, F.; Arnoux, P.; Baritault, A.; Alto, P.; Castets, C.; Secondi, J.

    2003-01-01

    Electricite de France, the French electric utility, has to face a formidable mutation. The deregulation of the power market will lead to a social, commercial, judicial, financial and international 'big-bang'. The company has been weakened by disappointing results and by an embarrassing running into debts. This dossier analyzes the consequences of the deregulation of the French power market on the future evolution of EdF. It includes the analysis made by a French economist, E. Cohen, an interview and a portrait of F. Roussely, head of EdF, a presentation of Easenergy, a start-up of EdF which makes partnerships with US energy-related companies, the worries of EdF's employees and the redistribution of the syndicates power inside the company, the controversy around EdF's 2002 results and the points that remained in the shade, EdF's European competitors and the progressive opening of the French power market, EDF's production tool and its availability (58 nuclear reactors, 538 hydroelectric power plants and 26 thermal power plants), the costly foreign markets strategy of EdF and the under-capitalization of the company. (J.S.)

  15. Developmental Delay’ Reconsidered: The Critical Role of Age-Dependent, Co-variant Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yonata Levy

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In memory of Annette Karmiloff-Smith.This paper reviews recent neurobiological research reporting structural co-variance and temporal dependencies in age-dependent gene expression, parameters of cortical maturation, long range connectivity and interaction of the biological network with the environment. This research suggests that age by size trajectories of brain structures relate to functional properties more than absolute sizes. In line with these findings, recent behavioral studies of typically developing children whose language development was delayed reported long term consequences of such delays. As for neurodevelopmental disorders, disrupted developmental timing and slow acquisitional pace are hallmarks of these populations. It is argued that these behavioral and neuro-biological results highlight the need to commit to a developmental model which will reflect the fact that temporal dependencies overseeing structural co-variance among developmental components are major regulatory factors of typical development of the brain/mind network. Consequently, the concept of ‘developmental delay’ in developmental theorizing needs to be reconsidered.

  16. Draft genome of the medaka fish: a comprehensive resource for medaka developmental genetics and vertebrate evolutionary biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takeda, Hiroyuki

    2008-06-01

    The medaka Oryzias latipes is a small egg-laying freshwater teleost, and has become an excellent model system for developmental genetics and evolutionary biology. The medaka genome is relatively small in size, approximately 800 Mb, and the genome sequencing project was recently completed by Japanese research groups, providing a high-quality draft genome sequence of the inbred Hd-rR strain of medaka. In this review, I present an overview of the medaka genome project including genome resources, followed by specific findings obtained with the medaka draft genome. In particular, I focus on the analysis that was done by taking advantage of the medaka system, such as the sex chromosome differentiation and the regional history of medaka species using single nucleotide polymorphisms as genomic markers.

  17. Creating to understand – developmental biology meets engineering in Paris

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kicheva, Anna; Rivron, Nicolas C.

    2017-01-01

    In November 2016, developmental biologists, synthetic biologists and engineers gathered in Paris for a meeting called ‘Engineering the embryo’. The participants shared an interest in exploring how synthetic systems can reveal new principles of embryonic development, and how the in vitro manipulation

  18. EDS becoms CERN Openlab contributor

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    "EDS announced that it has become an official contributor to CERN openlab. The purpose of the joint project beteween CERN and EDS is to carry out research and development in the field of monitoring, management and operation of grid services." (1 page)

  19. RT-PCR Analysis of ED-A,ED-B, and IIICS Fibronectin Domains: A New Screening Marker For Bladder Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Ahmadi Javid

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Background: Fibronectin seems to play a very important role in the progression and invasion of bladder cancer. EDA, EDB, and IIICS domains of fibronectin are not expressed in the adult persons but they’re expressed in different cancers. The aim of this study is to investigate the mRNA of fibronectin in transitional carcinoma cells (TCC of bladder to study these domains. Methods: A total of 20 patients with known bladder cancer were studied. Two of them excluded since their excised tissues were not enough for both the pathological examination and RNA study. Another 20 (control group were normal volunteers who needed bladder operations. The excised tissue was immediately transferred to RNAlater (Ambion,TX. RNA was extracted via RNAWIZ (Ambion, TX. cDNA was made via RevertAid First Strand cDNA Synthesis Kit (Fermentas. PCR of the cDNAs was performed using primers for EDA, EDB, and IIICS (Eurogentec,Belgium. Results: For the first time, we present the expression of the oncofetal fibronectin mRNA in the transitional cell carcinoma of bladder. The high grade muscle invasive (G3T2 tumor, expressed ED-A, ED-B, and IIICS. Expression of ED-A, ED-B, and IIICS was confirmed in the two patients with G3T1 TCC. The four patients with G2Ta and G3Ta expressed both ED-A and ED-B. The four patients with G1T1 tumor expressed ED-A only, similar to the nine patients with G1Ta tumor. None of the normal volunteers expressed the oncofetal extra domains. The sensitivity of ED-A positive fibronectin RNA for detecting TCC of any kind is 100%, and of ED-B was only 35%. The specificity of ED-B positive fibronectin RNA for the high grade TCC is 100%. Conclusion: ED-A, ED-B, and IIICS could be used as useful markers for the diagnosis and following up of bladder carcinoma. Keywords: Transitional Cell Carcinoma, bladder cancer, fibronectin, RT-PCR, oncofetal.

  20. The role of nitric oxide during embryonic epidermis development of Xenopus laevis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tománková, Silvie; Abaffy, Pavel; Šindelka, Radek

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 6 (2017), s. 862-871 ISSN 2046-6390 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR LK21305; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:86652036 Keywords : Development * Nitric oxide * Epidermis * Xenopus laevis Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 2.095, year: 2016

  1. Comparing the detection of iron-based pottery pigment on a carbon-coated sherd by SEM-EDS and by Micro-XRF-SEM.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pendleton, Michael W; Washburn, Dorothy K; Ellis, E Ann; Pendleton, Bonnie B

    2014-03-01

    The same sherd was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and a micro X-ray fluorescence tube attached to a scanning electron microscope (Micro-XRF-SEM) to compare the effectiveness of elemental detection of iron-based pigment. To enhance SEM-EDS mapping, the sherd was carbon coated. The carbon coating was not required to produce Micro-XRF-SEM maps but was applied to maintain an unbiased comparison between the systems. The Micro-XRF-SEM analysis was capable of lower limits of detection than that of the SEM-EDS system, and therefore the Micro-XRF-SEM system could produce elemental maps of elements not easily detected by SEM-EDS mapping systems. Because SEM-EDS and Micro-XRF-SEM have been used for imaging and chemical analysis of biological samples, this comparison of the detection systems should be useful to biologists, especially those involved in bone or tooth (hard tissue) analysis.

  2. Genetics and developmental biology of cooperation

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kasper, C.; Vierbuchen, M.; Ernst, Ulrich R.; Fischer, S.; Radersma, R.; Raulo, A.; Cunha-Saraiva, F.; Wu, M.; Mobley, K. B.; Taborsky, B.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 17 (2017), s. 4364-4377 ISSN 0962-1083 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : altruism * behaviour * indirect genetic effects * social behaviour * social effects Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 6.086, year: 2016

  3. Hearing of Mr. Francois Roussely, President of EdF; Audition de M. Francois Roussely, President d'EdF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roussely, F. [Electricite de France (EDF), 75 - Paris (France)

    2005-07-01

    This document is the proceedings of the hearing of F. Roussely, President of Electricite de France (EdF), at the commission of economic affairs of the French house of commons, about the advisability of the construction of the EPR (European pressurized reactor) demonstration plant and about its possible financing by EdF. In a first part, F. Roussely recalls the European context of deregulation of energy markets and its impact of the French electric power industry (opening of the French market, industrial and social actions of EdF, need of a new generation of nuclear reactor, preservation of EdF's energy mix, warranty of public utility, un-bundling between energy trade and distribution, EdF's turnover and profitability, EdF's foreign daughter companies). In a second part, F. Roussely answers a series of questions asked by the different members of the commission concerning the different points presented in the first part. (J.S.)

  4. Trisomy 21 and facial developmental instability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Starbuck, John M; Cole, Theodore M; Reeves, Roger H; Richtsmeier, Joan T

    2013-05-01

    The most common live-born human aneuploidy is trisomy 21, which causes Down syndrome (DS). Dosage imbalance of genes on chromosome 21 (Hsa21) affects complex gene-regulatory interactions and alters development to produce a wide range of phenotypes, including characteristic facial dysmorphology. Little is known about how trisomy 21 alters craniofacial morphogenesis to create this characteristic appearance. Proponents of the "amplified developmental instability" hypothesis argue that trisomy 21 causes a generalized genetic imbalance that disrupts evolutionarily conserved developmental pathways by decreasing developmental homeostasis and precision throughout development. Based on this model, we test the hypothesis that DS faces exhibit increased developmental instability relative to euploid individuals. Developmental instability was assessed by a statistical analysis of fluctuating asymmetry. We compared the magnitude and patterns of fluctuating asymmetry among siblings using three-dimensional coordinate locations of 20 anatomic landmarks collected from facial surface reconstructions in four age-matched samples ranging from 4 to 12 years: (1) DS individuals (n = 55); (2) biological siblings of DS individuals (n = 55); 3) and 4) two samples of typically developing individuals (n = 55 for each sample), who are euploid siblings and age-matched to the DS individuals and their euploid siblings (samples 1 and 2). Identification in the DS sample of facial prominences exhibiting increased fluctuating asymmetry during facial morphogenesis provides evidence for increased developmental instability in DS faces. We found the highest developmental instability in facial structures derived from the mandibular prominence and lowest in facial regions derived from the frontal prominence. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Bone Marrow Adipocyte Developmental Origin and Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukowska, Joanna; Frazier, Trivia; Smith, Stanley; Brown, Theodore; Bender, Robert; McCarthy, Michelle; Wu, Xiying; Bunnell, Bruce A; Gimble, Jeffrey M

    2018-06-01

    This review explores how the relationships between bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) adipogenesis with advancing age, obesity, and/or bone diseases (osteopenia or osteoporosis) contribute to mechanisms underlying musculoskeletal pathophysiology. Recent studies have re-defined adipose tissue as a dynamic, vital organ with functions extending beyond its historic identity restricted solely to that of an energy reservoir or sink. "State of the art" methodologies provide novel insights into the developmental origin, physiology, and function of different adipose tissue depots. These include genetic tracking of adipose progenitors, viral vectors application, and sophisticated non-invasive imaging modalities. While constricted within the rigid bone cavity, BMAT vigorously contributes to local and systemic metabolic processes including hematopoiesis, osteogenesis, and energy metabolism and undergoes dynamic changes as a function of age, diet, bone topography, or sex. These insights will impact future research and therapies relating to osteoporosis.

  6. Why did the savant syndrome not spread in the population? A psychiatric example of a developmental constraint

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ploeger, A.; van der Maas, H.L.J.; Raijmakers, M.E.J.; Galis, F.

    2009-01-01

    A developmental constraint is a mechanism that limits the possibility of a phenotype to evolve. There is growing evidence for the existence of developmental constraints in the biological literature. We hypothesize that a developmental constraint prevents the savant syndrome, despite its positive

  7. Developmental Social Cognitive Neuroscience: Insights from Deafness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corina, David; Singleton, Jenny

    2009-01-01

    The condition of deafness presents a developmental context that provides insight into the biological, cultural, and linguistic factors underlying the development of neural systems that impact social cognition. Studies of visual attention, behavioral regulation, language development, and face and human action perception are discussed. Visually…

  8. Social geography of developmental health in the early years.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hertzman, Clyde

    2010-01-01

    What happens to children in their earliest years is critical for their development throughout the life course. The years from zero to school age are foundational for brain and biological development. Attachment and face recognition; impulse control and regulation of physical aggression; executive function in the prefrontal cortex and focused attention; fine and gross motor functions and coordination; receptive and expressive language; and understandings of quantitative concepts are all established during this time and become embedded in the architecture and function of the brain (Doherty 1997; Kolb 2009; McCain and Mustard 1999). Brain and biological development are in turn expressed through three broad domains of development of the whole child: physical, social-emotional and language-cognitive, which together are the basis of "developmental health" (Keating and Hertzman 1999). Developmental health influences many aspects of well-being, including obesity and stunting, mental health, heart disease, competence in literacy and numeracy, criminality and economic participation throughout life (Irwin et al. 2007). Accordingly, developmental health is the central concern of this article.

  9. Characterising non-urgent users of the emergency department (ED: A retrospective analysis of routine ED data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Colin O'Keeffe

    Full Text Available The pressures of patient demand on emergency departments (EDs continue to be reported worldwide, with an associated negative impact on ED crowding and waiting times. It has also been reported that a proportion of attendances to EDs in different international systems could be managed in settings such as primary care. This study used routine ED data to define, measure and profile non-urgent ED attendances that were suitable for management in alternative, non-emergency settings.We undertook a retrospective analysis of three years of Hospital Episode and Statistics Accident Emergency (HES A&E data for one large region in England, United Kingdom (April 1st 2011 to March 31st 2014. Data was collected on all adult (>16 years ED attendances from each of the 19 EDs in the region. A validated process based definition of non-urgent attendance was refined for this study and applied to the data. Using summary statistics non-urgent attenders were examined by variables hypothesised to influence them as follows: age at arrival, time of day and day of week and mode of arrival. Odds ratios were calculated to compare non-urgent attenders between groups.There were 3,667,601 first time attendances to EDs, of which 554,564 were defined as non-urgent (15.1%. Non-urgent attendances were significantly more likely to present out of hours than in hours (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.20, P<0.001. The odds of a non-urgent attendance were significantly higher for younger patients (aged 16-44 compared to those aged 45-64 (odds ratio: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.41 to 1.43, P<0.001 and the over 65's (odds ratio: 3.81, 95% CI: 3.78 to 3.85, P<0.001. Younger patients were significantly more likely to attend non-urgently out of hours compared to the 45-64's (OR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.22 to 1.25, P<0.001 and the 65+'s (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.35 to 1.40, P<0.001. 110,605/554,564 (19.9% of the non-urgent attendances arrived by ambulance, increasing significantly out of hours versus in hours (OR = 2

  10. Developmental Transcriptomic Features of the Carcinogenic Liver Fluke, Clonorchis sinensis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, Pyo Yun; Kim, Tae Im; Cho, Shin-Hyeong; Choi, Sang-Haeng; Park, Hong-Seog; Kim, Tong-Soo; Hong, Sung-Jong

    2011-01-01

    Clonorchis sinensis is the causative agent of the life-threatening disease endemic to China, Korea, and Vietnam. It is estimated that about 15 million people are infected with this fluke. C. sinensis provokes inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and periductal fibrosis in bile ducts, and may cause cholangiocarcinoma in chronically infected individuals. Accumulation of a large amount of biological information about the adult stage of this liver fluke in recent years has advanced our understanding of the pathological interplay between this parasite and its hosts. However, no developmental gene expression profiles of C. sinensis have been published. In this study, we generated gene expression profiles of three developmental stages of C. sinensis by analyzing expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Complementary DNA libraries were constructed from the adult, metacercaria, and egg developmental stages of C. sinensis. A total of 52,745 ESTs were generated and assembled into 12,830 C. sinensis assembled EST sequences, and then these assemblies were further categorized into groups according to biological functions and developmental stages. Most of the genes that were differentially expressed in the different stages were consistent with the biological and physical features of the particular developmental stage; high energy metabolism, motility and reproduction genes were differentially expressed in adults, minimal metabolism and final host adaptation genes were differentially expressed in metacercariae, and embryonic genes were differentially expressed in eggs. The higher expression of glucose transporters, proteases, and antioxidant enzymes in the adults accounts for active uptake of nutrients and defense against host immune attacks. The types of ion channels present in C. sinensis are consistent with its parasitic nature and phylogenetic placement in the tree of life. We anticipate that the transcriptomic information on essential regulators of development, bile chemotaxis, and

  11. Developmental transcriptomic features of the carcinogenic liver fluke, Clonorchis sinensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Won Gi Yoo

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Clonorchis sinensis is the causative agent of the life-threatening disease endemic to China, Korea, and Vietnam. It is estimated that about 15 million people are infected with this fluke. C. sinensis provokes inflammation, epithelial hyperplasia, and periductal fibrosis in bile ducts, and may cause cholangiocarcinoma in chronically infected individuals. Accumulation of a large amount of biological information about the adult stage of this liver fluke in recent years has advanced our understanding of the pathological interplay between this parasite and its hosts. However, no developmental gene expression profiles of C. sinensis have been published. In this study, we generated gene expression profiles of three developmental stages of C. sinensis by analyzing expressed sequence tags (ESTs. Complementary DNA libraries were constructed from the adult, metacercaria, and egg developmental stages of C. sinensis. A total of 52,745 ESTs were generated and assembled into 12,830 C. sinensis assembled EST sequences, and then these assemblies were further categorized into groups according to biological functions and developmental stages. Most of the genes that were differentially expressed in the different stages were consistent with the biological and physical features of the particular developmental stage; high energy metabolism, motility and reproduction genes were differentially expressed in adults, minimal metabolism and final host adaptation genes were differentially expressed in metacercariae, and embryonic genes were differentially expressed in eggs. The higher expression of glucose transporters, proteases, and antioxidant enzymes in the adults accounts for active uptake of nutrients and defense against host immune attacks. The types of ion channels present in C. sinensis are consistent with its parasitic nature and phylogenetic placement in the tree of life. We anticipate that the transcriptomic information on essential regulators of development

  12. Hand-held ultrasound serving three EDs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2007-02-01

    Having a portable ultrasound available to your ED will enable you to perform scans during the nighttime hours, instead of having patients wait for several hours until the radiology department opens. Additional time can be saved by having a technologist read the scans, which frees your ED physicians for other duties. Having ED docs contact the technologist directly, rather than going through a resident, also saves valuable time. Arriving at a diagnosis more quickly provides a boost to patient safety.

  13. Cabaña ED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lorena Troncoso Valencia

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Este proyecto denominado Cabaña Ed, de la arquitecta chilena Lorena Troncoso Valencia, es parte de una serie de obras emplazadas en la comuna de Pinto, Región de Ñuble de Chile. Zona de frondosa vegetación de árboles autóctonos y con fugas visuales hacia la cordillera de los Andes. La Cabaña Ed, donde predomina el uso de la madera, se integra muy sutilmente con ese entorno natural. Cabin ED, by the Chilean architect Lorena Troncoso Valencia, is part of a series of works located in the commune of Pinto, Ñuble Region, Chile. This area is characterized by lush vegetation of native trees and visual towards the Andes leaks. In this project the use of wood predominates, which is subtly integrated with the natural environment. In the edition of REVISTARQUIS 11, another project of the architect, located in that same zone of tourist development was presented.

  14. Bridging developmental systems theory and evolutionary psychology using dynamic optimization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frankenhuis, Willem E; Panchanathan, Karthik; Clark Barrett, H

    2013-07-01

    Interactions between evolutionary psychologists and developmental systems theorists have been largely antagonistic. This is unfortunate because potential synergies between the two approaches remain unexplored. This article presents a method that may help to bridge the divide, and that has proven fruitful in biology: dynamic optimization. Dynamic optimization integrates developmental systems theorists' focus on dynamics and contingency with the 'design stance' of evolutionary psychology. It provides a theoretical framework as well as a set of tools for exploring the properties of developmental systems that natural selection might favor, given particular evolutionary ecologies. We also discuss limitations of the approach. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. The Influence of Pathologies upon Sensory Perception and Sensory Coordination in Children with Developmental Dyslexia and Learning Disorders: A Unified Theory of Developmental Dyslexia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, Graham Wilfred; Parvez, Syed Hasan

    2012-03-01

    This case is presented to explain that developmental dyslexia and related autistic spectrum disorders have solely pathological origins. There is a general consensus of opinion which supports the phonological theory. However, this largely ignores the biological basis for all aspects of the brain's development and function, and hence, for its dysfunction. A unified explanation must take into account all salient features including cognitive dysfunction, encephalograph (EEG) frequencies, neural networks, physiological systems, autonomic nervous system and the function of the cerebellum. It must explain the significance of the brain waves and neurons and their normally synchronized or coherent function. This article builds upon an earlier article by the authors, which incorporates a review and discussion of the prevailing theories or models for developmental dyslexia. It looks at the issues from a top-down 'systems biology' perspective. It concludes that it may be only the body's biochemistry and, in particular, the onset of pathologies that explain the phenomena which we recognize as developmental dyslexia. Pathologies experienced in the early prepubescent years influence neural development. They influence the speed and coherent transmission of data between the senses and neural centers. It is proposed that this explains the nature and occurrence of what we recognize as developmental dyslexia.

  16. Human Brain inspired Artificial Intelligence & Developmental Robotics: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suresh Kumar

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Along with the developments in the field of the robotics, fascinating contributions and developments can be seen in the field of Artificial intelligence (AI. In this paper we will discuss about the developments is the field of artificial intelligence focusing learning algorithms inspired from the field of Biology, particularly large scale brain simulations, and developmental Psychology. We will focus on the emergence of the Developmental robotics and its significance in the field of AI.

  17. Developmental origins of health and disease

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Gluckman, Peter D; Hanson, Mark A

    2006-01-01

    ... development and the onset of many chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and osteoporosis also raises important public health issues. Another fascinating theme in the book concerns evolutionary developmental biology and how the 'evo-devo' debate can cast light on these concepts. Clinicians and basic scientists alike will find this an ...

  18. On the quantitativeness of EDS STEM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lugg, N.R. [Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan); Kothleitner, G. [Institute for Electron Microscopy and Nanoanalysis, Graz University of Technology, Steyrergasse 17, 8010 Graz (Austria); Centre for Electron Microscopy, Steyrergasse 17, 8010 Graz (Austria); Shibata, N.; Ikuhara, Y. [Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656 (Japan)

    2015-04-15

    Chemical mapping using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has recently shown to be a powerful technique in analyzing the elemental identity and location of atomic columns in materials at atomic resolution. However, most applications of EDS STEM have been used only to qualitatively map whether elements are present at specific sites. Obtaining calibrated EDS STEM maps so that they are on an absolute scale is a difficult task and even if one achieves this, extracting quantitative information about the specimen – such as the number or density of atoms under the probe – adds yet another layer of complexity to the analysis due to the multiple elastic and inelastic scattering of the electron probe. Quantitative information may be obtained by comparing calibrated EDS STEM with theoretical simulations, but in this case a model of the structure must be assumed a priori. Here we first theoretically explore how exactly elastic and thermal scattering of the probe confounds the quantitative information one is able to extract about the specimen from an EDS STEM map. We then show using simulation how tilting the specimen (or incident probe) can reduce the effects of scattering and how it can provide quantitative information about the specimen. We then discuss drawbacks of this method – such as the loss of atomic resolution along the tilt direction – but follow this with a possible remedy: precession averaged EDS STEM mapping. - Highlights: • Signal obtained in EDS STEM maps (of STO) compared to non-channelling signal. • Deviation from non-channelling signal occurs in on-axis experiments. • Tilting specimen: signal close to non-channelling case but atomic resolution is lost. • Tilt-precession series: non-channelling signal and atomic-resolution features obtained. • Associated issues are discussed.

  19. Transient data acquisition techniques under EDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Telford, S.

    1985-06-01

    This paper is the first of a series which describes the Enrichment Diagnostic System (EDS) developed for the MARS project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Although EDS was developed for use on AVLIS, the functional requirements, overall design, and specific techniques are applicable to any experimental data acquisition system involving large quantities of transient data. In particular this paper will discuss the techniques and equipment used to do the data acquisition. Included are what types of hardware are used and how that hardware (CAMAC, digital oscilloscopes) is interfaced to the HP computers. In this discussion the author will address the problems encountered and the solutions used, as well as the performance of the instrument/computer interfaces. The second topic the author will discuss is how the acquired data is associated to graphics and analysis portions of EDS through efficient real time data bases. This discussion will include how the acquired data is folded into the overall structure of EDS providing the user immediate access to raw and analyzed data. By example you will see how easily a new diagnostic can be added to the EDS structure without modifying the other parts of the system. 8 figs

  20. Relations between Intuitive Biological Thinking and Biological Misconceptions in Biology Majors and Nonmajors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coley, John D.; Tanner, Kimberly

    2015-01-01

    Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems—teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking—that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. PMID:25713093

  1. Biomarkers of adult and developmental neurotoxicity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slikker, William; Bowyer, John F.

    2005-01-01

    Neurotoxicity may be defined as any adverse effect on the structure or function of the central and/or peripheral nervous system by a biological, chemical, or physical agent. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to assess adult and developmental neurotoxicity due to the complex and diverse functions of the nervous system. The overall strategy for understanding developmental neurotoxicity is based on two assumptions: (1) significant differences in the adult versus the developing nervous system susceptibility to neurotoxicity exist and they are often developmental stage dependent; (2) a multidisciplinary approach using neurobiological, including gene expression assays, neurophysiological, neuropathological, and behavioral function is necessary for a precise assessment of neurotoxicity. Application of genomic approaches to developmental studies must use the same criteria for evaluating microarray studies as those in adults including consideration of reproducibility, statistical analysis, homogenous cell populations, and confirmation with non-array methods. A study using amphetamine to induce neurotoxicity supports the following: (1) gene expression data can help define neurotoxic mechanism(s) (2) gene expression changes can be useful biomarkers of effect, and (3) the site-selective nature of gene expression in the nervous system may mandate assessment of selective cell populations

  2. Adaptive developmental delay in Chagas disease vectors: an evolutionary ecology approach.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frédéric Menu

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The developmental time of vector insects is important in population dynamics, evolutionary biology, epidemiology and in their responses to global climatic change. In the triatomines (Triatominae, Reduviidae, vectors of Chagas disease, evolutionary ecology concepts, which may allow for a better understanding of their biology, have not been applied. Despite delay in the molting in some individuals observed in triatomines, no effort was made to explain this variability.We applied four methods: (1 an e-mail survey sent to 30 researchers with experience in triatomines, (2 a statistical description of the developmental time of eleven triatomine species, (3 a relationship between development time pattern and climatic inter-annual variability, (4 a mathematical optimization model of evolution of developmental delay (diapause.85.6% of responses informed on prolonged developmental times in 5(th instar nymphs, with 20 species identified with remarkable developmental delays. The developmental time analysis showed some degree of bi-modal pattern of the development time of the 5(th instars in nine out of eleven species but no trend between development time pattern and climatic inter-annual variability was observed. Our optimization model predicts that the developmental delays could be due to an adaptive risk-spreading diapause strategy, only if survival throughout the diapause period and the probability of random occurrence of "bad" environmental conditions are sufficiently high.Developmental delay may not be a simple non-adaptive phenotypic plasticity in development time, and could be a form of adaptive diapause associated to a physiological mechanism related to the postponement of the initiation of reproduction, as an adaptation to environmental stochasticity through a spreading of risk (bet-hedging strategy. We identify a series of parameters that can be measured in the field and laboratory to test this hypothesis. The importance of these findings is

  3. Developmental immunotoxicity testing of 4-methyl anisole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonk, Elisa C M; Verhoef, Aart; Gremmer, Eric R; van Loveren, Henk; Piersma, Aldert H

    2015-07-01

    The developmental immunotoxicity of 4-methyl anisole (4MA) was investigated in the rat. Four study designs were used, with either premating or post-weaning onset of exposure, continued to postnatal day 50, and with or without additional oral gavage of pups from postnatal day 10 onward. Reduced litter size (benchmark dose lower confidence limit (BMDL) 80mg/kg bw/day) was the most sensitive developmental parameter, with pup relative organ weight effects observed at similar BMDLs, in the absence of maternal toxicity. Eosinophil numbers were reduced at lower doses (BMDL 16mg/kg bw/day). KLH challenge resulted in increased IL-13 and TNF-α responses, and variably reduced IgG production (BMDL 27mg/kg bw/day). T4 levels were reduced by 11% at maximum with a BMDL of 73mg/kg bw/day. Differences between exposure cohorts were limited and were considered to be without biological significance. This study shows that 4MA induces developmental immunotoxicity at doses below those inducing developmental and general toxicity. These observations being independent of the study designs applied suggest that the post-weaning period, included in all designs, is the most relevant sensitive period for inducing 4MA mediated developmental immunotoxicity. Moreover, this study stresses the importance of including developmental immunotoxicity testing by default in regulatory toxicology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Reduce, reuse, and recycle: developmental evolution of trait diversification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preston, Jill C; Hileman, Lena C; Cubas, Pilar

    2011-03-01

    A major focus of evolutionary developmental (evo-devo) studies is to determine the genetic basis of variation in organismal form and function, both of which are fundamental to biological diversification. Pioneering work on metazoan and flowering plant systems has revealed conserved sets of genes that underlie the bauplan of organisms derived from a common ancestor. However, the extent to which variation in the developmental genetic toolkit mirrors variation at the phenotypic level is an active area of research. Here we explore evidence from the angiosperm evo-devo literature supporting the frugal use of genes and genetic pathways in the evolution of developmental patterning. In particular, these examples highlight the importance of genetic pleiotropy in different developmental modules, thus reducing the number of genes required in growth and development, and the reuse of particular genes in the parallel evolution of ecologically important traits.

  5. Developmental biology of Streptomyces from the perspective of 100 actinobacterial genome sequences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandra, Govind; Chater, Keith F

    2014-01-01

    To illuminate the evolution and mechanisms of actinobacterial complexity, we evaluate the distribution and origins of known Streptomyces developmental genes and the developmental significance of actinobacteria-specific genes. As an aid, we developed the Actinoblast database of reciprocal blastp best hits between the Streptomyces coelicolor genome and more than 100 other actinobacterial genomes (http://streptomyces.org.uk/actinoblast/). We suggest that the emergence of morphological complexity was underpinned by special features of early actinobacteria, such as polar growth and the coupled participation of regulatory Wbl proteins and the redox-protecting thiol mycothiol in transducing a transient nitric oxide signal generated during physiologically stressful growth transitions. It seems that some cell growth and division proteins of early actinobacteria have acquired greater importance for sporulation of complex actinobacteria than for mycelial growth, in which septa are infrequent and not associated with complete cell separation. The acquisition of extracellular proteins with structural roles, a highly regulated extracellular protease cascade, and additional regulatory genes allowed early actinobacterial stationary phase processes to be redeployed in the emergence of aerial hyphae from mycelial mats and in the formation of spore chains. These extracellular proteins may have contributed to speciation. Simpler members of morphologically diverse clades have lost some developmental genes. PMID:24164321

  6. MicroED data collection and processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hattne, Johan; Reyes, Francis E.; Nannenga, Brent L.; Shi, Dan; Cruz, M. Jason de la [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Leslie, Andrew G. W. [Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Gonen, Tamir, E-mail: gonent@janelia.hhmi.org [Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States)

    2015-07-01

    The collection and processing of MicroED data are presented. MicroED, a method at the intersection of X-ray crystallography and electron cryo-microscopy, has rapidly progressed by exploiting advances in both fields and has already been successfully employed to determine the atomic structures of several proteins from sub-micron-sized, three-dimensional crystals. A major limiting factor in X-ray crystallography is the requirement for large and well ordered crystals. By permitting electron diffraction patterns to be collected from much smaller crystals, or even single well ordered domains of large crystals composed of several small mosaic blocks, MicroED has the potential to overcome the limiting size requirement and enable structural studies on difficult-to-crystallize samples. This communication details the steps for sample preparation, data collection and reduction necessary to obtain refined, high-resolution, three-dimensional models by MicroED, and presents some of its unique challenges.

  7. Computer Simulation of Developmental Processes and Toxicities (SOT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rationale: Recent progress in systems toxicology and synthetic biology have paved the way to new thinking about in vitro/in silico modeling of developmental processes and toxicities, both for embryological and reproductive impacts. Novel in vitro platforms such as 3D organotypic ...

  8. Ed Watson 1940-2006

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    Ed Watson arrived at CERN in March 1973 to work on digital electronics and CAMAC systems under Bob Dobinson, after many years at Rolls Royce in Scotland. He joined the European Muon Collaboration in 1976, where he played a major role in the design, deployment and running of its data acquisition system (DAQ) with David Botterill, Bob Dobinson, and Vicky White. The CAMAC-ROMULUS system was by far the largest and most advanced of its time, and it became a defining standard for DAQ systems for years to come. Ed was deeply involved in the detailed planning of the control rooms and the experiment cabling, as well as sharing the responsibility for the CAMAC readout system. He had a real talent for trouble shooting and played a vital part in supporting the experiment throughout its lifetime. He offered great moral support to the younger members of the collaboration and helped them a great deal with their work. The EMC had a wonderful social life to which Ed was a major contributor - who can forget its barbecues?  In...

  9. Ed Watson - 1940-2006

    CERN Multimedia

    2006-01-01

    Ed Watson passed away suddenly on 1 August in Geneva, he was 66. He leaves his wife and two children. Ed Watson arrived at CERN in March 1973 to work on digital electronics and CAMAC systems under Bob Dobinson, after many years at Rolls Royce in Scotland. He joined the European Muon Collaboration in 1976, where he played a major role in the design, deployment and running of its data acquisition system (DAQ) with David Botterill, Bob Dobinson, and Vicky White. The CAMAC-ROMULUS system was by far the largest and most advanced of its time, and it became a defining standard for DAQ systems for years to come. Ed was deeply involved in the detailed planning of the control rooms and the experiment cabling, as well as sharing the responsibility for the CAMAC readout system. He had a real talent for trouble shooting and played a vital part in supporting the experiment throughout its lifetime. He offered great moral support to the younger members of the collaboration and helped them a great deal with their work. The...

  10. Dictionary of microbiology and molecular biology. 2nd ed

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singleton, P.; Sainsbury, D.

    1988-01-01

    A newly revised edition of the standard reference for microbiology and molecular biology. Includes a multitude of new terms and designations which, although widely used in the literature, are seldom defined outside the book or paper in which they first appeared. Also accounts for the changes in the meanings of older terms brought about by advances in knowledge. Definition of all terms reflects their actual usage in current journals and texts, and also given (where appropriate) are former meanings, alternative meanings, and synonyms. Includes terms from such fields as mycology, protozoology, virology, etc.

  11. hiPSC Disease Modeling of Rare Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxias: Opportunities and Future Challenges

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukovic, D.; Moreno-Manzano, V.; Rodriquez; Jimenez, F.J.; Vilches, A.; Syková, Eva; Jendelová, Pavla; Stojkovic, M.; Erceg, Slaven

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 23, č. 5 (2017), s. 554-566 ISSN 1073-8584 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : 3D organoids * ataxia * disease modelling Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 7.391, year: 2016

  12. Highly Efficient Neural Conversion of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in Adherent and Animal-Free Conditions

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukovic, D.; Diez Lloret, A.; Stojkovic, P.; Rodríguez-Martínez, D.; Arago, M.P.P.; Rodriguez-Jiménez, F.J.; González-Rodríguez, P.; López-Barneo, J.; Syková, Eva; Jendelová, Pavla; Kostic, J.; Moreno-Manzano, V.; Stojkovic, M.; Bhattacharya, S.S.; Erceg, Slaven

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 6, č. 4 (2017), s. 1217-1226 ISSN 2157-6564 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015064; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : cellular therapy * clinical translation * differentiation Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 4.000, year: 2016

  13. ED leadership competency matrix: an administrative management tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Propp, Douglas A; Glickman, Seth; Uehara, Dennis T

    2003-10-01

    A successful ED relies on its leaders to master and demonstrate core competencies to be effective in the many arenas in which they interact and are responsible. A unique matrix model for the assessment of an ED leadership's key administrative skill sets is presented. The model incorporates capabilities related to the individual's cognitive aptitude, experience, acquired technical skills, behavioral characteristics, as well as the ability to manage relationships effectively. Based on the personnel inventory using the matrix, focused evaluation, development, and recruitment of ED key leaders occurs. This dynamic tool has provided a unique perspective for the evaluation and enhancement of overall ED leadership performance. It is hoped that incorporation of such a model will similarly improve the accomplishments of EDs at other institutions.

  14. From the "Modern Synthesis" to cybernetics: Ivan Ivanovich Schmalhausen (1884-1963) and his research program for a synthesis of evolutionary and developmental biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levit, Georgy S; Hossfeld, Uwe; Olsson, Lennart

    2006-03-15

    Ivan I. Schmalhausen was one of the central figures in the Russian development of the "Modern Synthesis" in evolutionary biology. He is widely cited internationally even today. Schmalhausen developed the main principles of his theory facing the danger of death in the totalitarian Soviet Union. His great services to evolutionary and theoretical biology are indisputable. However, the received view of Schmalhausen's contributions to evolutionary biology makes an unbiased reading of his texts difficult. Here we show that taking all of his works into consideration (including those only available in Russian) paints a much more dynamic and exciting picture of what he tried to achieve. Schmalhausen pioneered the integration of a developmental perspective into evolutionary thinking. A main tool for achieving this was his approach to living objects as complex multi-level self-regulating systems. Schmalhausen put enormous effort into bringing this idea into fruition during the final stages of his career by combining evolutionary theory with cybernetics. His results and ideas remain thought-provoking, and his texts are of more than just historical interest. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  15. Biology and Systematics of Echinococcus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, R C A

    2017-01-01

    The biology of Echinococcus, the causative agent of echinococcosis (hydatid disease) is reviewed with emphasis on the developmental biology of the adult and metacestode stages of the parasite. Major advances include determining the origin, structure and functional activities of the laminated layer and its relationship with the germinal layer; and the isolation, in vitro establishment and characterization of the multipotential germinal cells. Future challenges are to identify the mechanisms that provide Echinococcus with its unique developmental plasticity and the nature of activities at the parasite-host interface, particularly in the definitive host. The revised taxonomy of Echinococcus is presented and the solid nomenclature it provides will be essential in understanding the epidemiology of echinococcosis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. TechEdSat

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — TechEdSat is a 1U CubeSat built by San Jose State University in partnership with NASA Ames Research Center and AAC Microtec. Its mission is to evaluate Space...

  17. Review: Erica Burman (2008. Deconstructing Developmental Psychology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bróna Nic Giolla Easpaig

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available We here offer a review of Erica BURMAN's "Deconstructing Developmental Psychology" (2nd ed. in the form of a critical reading of the book in so far as it relates to matters of knowledge and power, the truthing of particular claims, and to critical pedagogy. We express some concern about the vulnerability of students in mainstream higher psychology education contexts reading this textbook who might be penalised for resisting, as this book encourages them to do, the prescribed accounts of psychology which they are more generally required to digest and regurgitate. However we argue that the first two chapters alone provide the reader with a whole critical psychology education, which does more than touch on imperialism, colonisation and patriarchy and brilliantly links the inventions of psychology to the major issues of our time. We argue that one of the strongest features of the book is the way in which it addresses oppressive discourses which are reproduced in developmental psychology, particularly concerning gender, racism, disabling practices, and oppressive practices. This textbook is powerful in deconstructing oppressive discourses which masquerade as forms of "legitimate truth" and in equipping the reader to identify and critique research processes which privilege certain types of knowledge above others. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1001127

  18. TechEdSat Nano-Satellite Series Fact Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murbach, Marcus; Martinez, Andres; Guarneros Luna, Ali

    2014-01-01

    TechEdSat-3p is the second generation in the TechEdSat-X series. The TechEdSat Series uses the CubeSat standards established by the California Polytechnic State University Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo. With typical blocks being constructed from 1-unit (1U 10x10x10 cm) increments, the TechEdSat-3p has a 3U volume with a 30 cm length. The project uniquely pairs advanced university students with NASA researchers in a rapid design-to-flight experience lasting 1-2 semesters.The TechEdSat Nano-Satellite Series provides a rapid platform for testing technologies for future NASA Earth and planetary missions, as well as providing students with an early exposure to flight hardware development and management.

  19. [Does the recent psychosocial research consider the perspective of developmental psychopathology?].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glaesmer, Heide; Petermann, Franz; Schüssler, Gerhard

    2009-10-01

    Developmental psychopathology is studying the development of psychological disorders with a life course perspective and an interdisciplinary approach considering the interplay of biological, psychological and social factors in complex models. The bibliometric analysis examines the implementation of this concept in the recent psychosocial research in the German-speaking area. Volumes 2007 and 2008 of three German psychological journals "Zeitschrift für Psychotherapie, Psychosomatik und Medizinische Psychologie", "Zeitschrift für Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie", and "Zeitschrift für Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Psychotherapie" were screened for articles dealing with issues of developmental psychopathology. 46 articles were identified and evaluated. Several aspects of developmental psychopathology are considered in a vast number of studies, but there is a main focus on risk factors, but not on protective factors and most of the studies are based on cross-sectional designs. Most of the recent practice in psychosocial research is not beneficial for the identification of causal effects or the complex interplay of risk and protective factors in the development of psychological disorders. Thus, longitudinal studies, taking biological, psychological and social factors and their interplay into account are essential to meet the requirement of developmental psychopathology. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart. New York.

  20. The search for evolutionary developmental origins of aging in zebrafish: a novel intersection of developmental and senescence biology in the zebrafish model system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishi, Shuji

    2011-09-01

    Senescence may be considered the antithesis of early development, but yet there may be factors and mechanisms in common between these two phenomena during the process of aging. We investigated whether any relationship exists between the regulatory mechanisms that function in early development and in senescence using the zebrafish (Danio rerio), a small freshwater fish and a useful model animal for genetic studies. We conducted experiments to isolate zebrafish mutants expressing an apparent senescence phenotype during embryogenesis (embryonic senescence). Some of the genes we thereby identified had already been associated with cellular senescence and chronological aging in other organisms, but many had not yet been linked to these processes. Complete loss-of-function of developmentally essential genes induce embryonic (or larval) lethality, whereas it seems like their partial loss-of-function (i.e., decrease-of-function by heterozygote or hypomorphic mutations) still remains sufficient to go through the early developmental process because of its adaptive plasticity or rather heterozygote advantage. However, in some cases, such partial loss-of-function of genes compromise normal homeostasis due to haploinsufficiency later in adult life having many environmental stress challenges. By contrast, any heterozygote-advantageous genes might gain a certain benefit(s) (much more fitness) by such partial loss-of-function later in life. Physiological senescence may evolutionarily arise from both genetic and epigenetic drifts as well as from losing adaptive developmental plasticity in face of stress signals from the external environment that interacts with functions of multiple genes rather than effects of only a single gene mutation or defect. Previously uncharacterized developmental genes may thus mediate the aging process and play a pivotal role in senescence. Moreover, unexpected senescence-related genes might also be involved in the early developmental process and

  1. Developmental perspectives on nutrition and obesity from gestation to adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esposito, Layla; Fisher, Jennifer O; Mennella, Julie A; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Huang, Terry T

    2009-07-01

    Obesity results from a complex combination of factors that act at many stages throughout a person's life. Therefore, examining childhood nutrition and obesity from a developmental perspective is warranted. A developmental perspective recognizes the cumulative effects of factors that contribute to eating behavior and obesity, including biological and socioenvironmental factors that are relevant at different stages of development. A developmental perspective considers family, school, and community context. During gestation, risk factors for obesity include maternal diet, overweight, and smoking. In early childhood, feeding practices, taste acquisition, and eating in the absence of hunger must be considered. As children become more independent during middle childhood and adolescence, school nutrition, food marketing, and social networks become focal points for obesity prevention or intervention. Combining a multilevel approach with a developmental perspective can inform more effective and sustainable strategies for obesity prevention.

  2. Conceptual Barriers to Progress Within Evolutionary Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laland, Kevin N; Odling-Smee, John; Feldman, Marcus W; Kendal, Jeremy

    2009-08-01

    In spite of its success, Neo-Darwinism is faced with major conceptual barriers to further progress, deriving directly from its metaphysical foundations. Most importantly, neo-Darwinism fails to recognize a fundamental cause of evolutionary change, "niche construction". This failure restricts the generality of evolutionary theory, and introduces inaccuracies. It also hinders the integration of evolutionary biology with neighbouring disciplines, including ecosystem ecology, developmental biology, and the human sciences. Ecology is forced to become a divided discipline, developmental biology is stubbornly difficult to reconcile with evolutionary theory, and the majority of biologists and social scientists are still unhappy with evolutionary accounts of human behaviour. The incorporation of niche construction as both a cause and a product of evolution removes these disciplinary boundaries while greatly generalizing the explanatory power of evolutionary theory.

  3. The rise of developmental genetics - a historical account of the fusion of embryology and cell biology with human genetics and the emergence of the Stem Cell Initiative.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidson, S H; Ballo, R; Greenberg, L J

    2016-05-25

    Genetics and cell biology are very prominent areas of biological research with rapid advances being driven by a flood of theoretical, technological and informational knowledge. Big biology and small biology continue to feed off each other. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the productive interactions that have taken place between human geneticists and cell biologists at UCT, and credit is given to the enabling environment created led by Prof. Peter Beighton. The growth of new disciplines and disciplinary mergers that have swept away division of the past to make new exciting syntheses are discussed. We show how our joint research has benefitted from worldwide advances in developmental genetics, cloning and stem cell technologies, genomics, bioinformatics and imaging. We conclude by describing the role of the UCT Stem Cell Initiative and show how we are using induced pluripotent cells to carry out disease-in-the- dish studies on retinal degeneration and fibrosis.

  4. Early childhood growth and cognitive outcomes: Findings from the MAL-ED study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scharf, Rebecca J; Rogawski, Elizabeth T; Murray-Kolb, Laura E; Maphula, Angelina; Svensen, Erling; Tofail, Fahmida; Rasheed, Muneera; Abreu, Claudia; Vasquez, Angel Orbe; Shrestha, Rita; Pendergast, Laura; Mduma, Estomih; Koshy, Beena; Conaway, Mark R; Platts-Mills, James A; Guerrant, Richard L; DeBoer, Mark D

    2018-02-02

    Although many studies around the world hope to measure or improve developmental progress in children to promote community flourishing and productivity, growth is sometimes used as a surrogate because cognitive skills are more difficult to measure. Our objective was to assess how childhood measures of anthropometry correlate with measures of child development in low-income settings with high prevalence of poor nutrition and enteric disease, to inform studies considering growth outcomes in the absence of direct child developmental skill assessment. Children from the MAL-ED study were followed from birth to 24 months of age in field sites in 8 low- and middle-income countries across 3 continents. Monthly weight, length, and head circumference measurements were performed. At 24 months, the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development was administered. We correlated cognitive measures at 24 months with anthropometric measurements from birth to 2 years comparing 3 constructs: absolute attained monthly measures, summative difference in measures from the mean growth curve, and rate of change in measures. Growth faltering at multiple time periods is related to Bayley cognitive outcomes at 24 months. Birthweight, overall growth by 18-24 months, and rate of growth in the 6- to 18-month period were most associated with 24-month developmental scores. In this study, head circumference measurements, compared with length, was more closely linked to cognitive scores at 24 months. Notably, all studies between growth and cognitive outcomes exhibited low r 2 values (0.001-0.049). Anthropometric measures, particularly head circumference, were related to cognitive development, although explaining a low percent of variance. When feasible, direct measures of child development may be more useful. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  5. Mathematical model for evaluation of dose-rate effect on biological responses to low dose γ-radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogata, H.; Kawakami, Y.; Magae, J.

    2003-01-01

    Full text: To evaluate quantitative dose-response relationship on the biological response to radiation, it is necessary to consider a model including cumulative dose, dose-rate and irradiation time. In this study, we measured micronucleus formation and [ 3 H] thymidine uptake in human cells as indices of biological response to gamma radiation, and analyzed mathematically and statistically the data for quantitative evaluation of radiation risk at low dose/low dose-rate. Effective dose (ED x ) was mathematically estimated by fitting a general function of logistic model to the dose-response relationship. Assuming that biological response depends on not only cumulative dose but also dose-rate and irradiation time, a multiple logistic function was applied to express the relationship of the three variables. Moreover, to estimate the effect of radiation at very low dose, we proposed a modified exponential model. From the results of fitting curves to the inhibition of [ 3 H] thymidine uptake and micronucleus formation, it was obvious that ED 50 in proportion of inhibition of [ 3 H] thymidine uptake increased with longer irradiation time. As for the micronuclei, ED 30 also increased with longer irradiation times. These results suggest that the biological response depends on not only total dose but also irradiation time. The estimated response surface using the three variables showed that the biological response declined sharply when the dose-rate was less than 0.01 Gy/h. These results suggest that the response does not depend on total cumulative dose at very low dose-rates. Further, to investigate the effect of dose-rate within a wider range, we analyzed the relationship between ED x and dose-rate. Fitted curves indicated that ED x increased sharply when dose-rate was less than 10 -2 Gy/h. The increase of ED x signifies the decline of the response or the risk and suggests that the risk approaches to 0 at infinitely low dose-rate

  6. Detection of genes associated with developmental competence of bovine oocytes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Němcová, Lucie; Jansová, Denisa; Vodičková Kepková, Kateřina; Vodička, Petr; Jeseta, M.; Machatková, M.; Kaňka, Jiří

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 166, č. 1 (2016), s. 58-71 ISSN 0378-4320 Institutional support: RVO:67985904 Keywords : oocyte * embryo * bovine * developmental competence * transcription Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.605, year: 2016

  7. The ED use and non-urgent visits of elderly patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gulacti, Umut; Lok, Ugur; Celik, Murat; Aktas, Nurettin; Polat, Haci

    2016-12-01

    To evaluate the use of the emergency department (ED) by elderly patients, their non-urgent visits and the prevalence of main disease for ED visits. This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged 65 years and over who visited the ED of a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey between January 2015 and January 2016 retrospectively. A total of 36,369 elderly patients who visited the ED were included in the study. The rate of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population (p elderly patients visiting polyclinics was 15.8%, the rate of elderly patients visiting the ED was 24.3% (p elderly age groups (p elderly population (17.5%, CI: 17.1-17.9). The proportion of ED visits for non-urgent conditions was 23.4%. Most of the ED visits were during the non-business hours (51.1%), and they were highest in the winter season (25.9%) and in January (10.2%). The hospitalization rate was 9.4%, and 37.9% of hospitalized patients were admitted to intensive care units. The proportion of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population. Elderly patients often visited the ED instead of a polyclinic. The rate of inappropriate ED use by elderly patients in this hospital was higher than in other countries.

  8. Proteomics Improves the New Understanding of Honeybee Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hora, Zewdu Ararso; Altaye, Solomon Zewdu; Wubie, Abebe Jemberie; Li, Jianke

    2018-04-11

    The honeybee is one of the most valuable insect pollinators, playing a key role in pollinating wild vegetation and agricultural crops, with significant contribution to the world's food production. Although honeybees have long been studied as model for social evolution, honeybee biology at the molecular level remained poorly understood until the year 2006. With the availability of the honeybee genome sequence and technological advancements in protein separation, mass spectrometry, and bioinformatics, aspects of honeybee biology such as developmental biology, physiology, behavior, neurobiology, and immunology have been explored to new depths at molecular and biochemical levels. This Review comprehensively summarizes the recent progress in honeybee biology using proteomics to study developmental physiology, task transition, and physiological changes in some of the organs, tissues, and cells based on achievements from the authors' laboratory in this field. The research advances of honeybee proteomics provide new insights for understanding of honeybee biology and future research directions.

  9. Developmental response of tropi cal warehouse moth, Ephestia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Developing larvae of major insect pests like Ephestia cautella rapidly degrade stored cocoa beans through feeding and other biological activities on the beans. Completion of developmental stages of insects may be influenced by a number of biochemical factors triggered by the primary post-harvest processing of cocoa ...

  10. ED breast cases and other breast emergencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khadem, Nasim; Reddy, Sravanthi; Lee, Sandy; Larsen, Linda; Walker, Daphne

    2016-02-01

    Patients with pathologic processes of the breast commonly present in the Emergency Department (ED). Familiarity with the imaging and management of the most common entities is essential for the radiologist. Additionally, it is important to understand the limitations of ED imaging and management in the acute setting and to recognize when referrals to a specialty breast center are necessary. The goal of this article is to review the clinical presentations, pathophysiology, imaging, and management of emergency breast cases and common breast pathology seen in the ED.

  11. Description and developmental biology of the predatory diplogastrid Acrostichus nudicapitatus (Steiner, 1914 Massey, 1962 (Nematoda: Rhabditida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ahlawat S.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Acrostichus nudicapitatus (Steiner, 1914 Massey, 1962 is redescribed and illustrated along with observations on its developmental biology. Most morphometrics of the present population agree well with those of A. nudicapitatus (Steiner, 1914 Massey, 1962. The largely oviparous females of A. nudicapitatus lay eggs in single-celled or two-celled stage, 1.5 – 2 h after fertilization. In cultured females, the uterine tract was observed to accommodate occasionally as many as 4 – 6 eggs. The eggs are smooth-shelled, oval in shape measuring 45 – 48 x 23 – 26 μm in dimension. The pole of entry of sperm marks the posterior end of the developing embryo. The embryonation time has been recorded to be 20 – 25 h at 25 ± 2 °C. The first moult occurs inside the egg and the juvenile hatches as second stage juvenile. The gonad development follows the trends found in most rhabditids, however, three prime cells of the 12 vulval precursor cells have been observed to be involved in vulva formation.

  12. Integrating developmental biology and the fossil record of reptiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skawiński, Tomasz; Tałanda, Mateusz

    2014-01-01

    Numerous new discoveries and new research techniques have influenced our understanding of reptile development from a palaeontological perspective. They suggest for example that transition from mineralized to leathery eggshells and from oviparity to viviparity appeared much more often in the evolution of reptiles than was previously thought. Most marine reptiles evolved from viviparous terrestrial ancestors and had probably genetic sex determination. Fossil forms often display developmental traits absent or rare among modern ones such as polydactyly, hyperphalangy, the presence of ribcage armour, reduction of head ornamentation during ontogeny, extreme modifications of vertebral count or a wide range of feather-like structures. Thus, they provide an empirical background for many morphogenetic considerations.

  13. A Simple ELISA Exercise for Undergraduate Biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baker, William P.; Moore, Cathy R.

    Understanding of immunological techniques such as the Enzyme Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay (ELISA) is an important part of instructional units in human health, developmental biology, microbiology, and biotechnology. This paper describes a simple ELISA exercise for undergraduate biology that effectively simulates the technique using a paper model.…

  14. Ecdysone Control of Developmental Transitions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rewitz, Kim; Yamanaka, Naoki; O'Connor, Michael B.

    2013-01-01

    The steroid hormone ecdysone is the central regulator of insect developmental transitions. Recent new advances in our understanding of ecdysone action have relied heavily on the application of Drosophila melanogaster molecular genetic tools to study insect metamorphosis. In this review, we focus...... on three major aspects of Drosophila ecdysone biology: (a) factors that regulate the timing of ecdysone release, (b) molecular basis of stage- and tissue-specific responses to ecdysone, and (c) feedback regulation and coordination of ecdysone signaling....

  15. Erectile Dysfunction (ED)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Talking to Your Kids About VirginityTalking to Your Kids About Sex Home Diseases and Conditions Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Condition ... Well-Being Mental Health Sex and Birth Control Sex and Sexuality Birth Control ... and Toddlers Kids and Teens Pregnancy and Childbirth Women Men Seniors ...

  16. A Julia set model of field-directed morphogenesis: developmental biology and artificial life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levin, M

    1994-04-01

    One paradigm used in understanding the control of morphogenetic events is the concept of positional information, where sub-organismic components (such as cells) act in response to positional cues. It is important to determine what kinds of spatiotemporal patterns may be obtained by such a method, and what the characteristics of such a morphogenetic process might be. This paper presents a computer model of morphogenesis based on gene activity driven by interpreting a positional information field. In this model, the interactions of mutually regulating developmental genes are viewed as a map from R2 to R2, and are modeled by the complex number algebra. Functions in complex variables are used to simulate genetic interactions resulting in position-dependent differentiation. This is shown to be equivalent to computing modified Julia sets, and is seen to be sufficient to produce a very rich set of morphologies which are similar in appearance and several important characteristics to those of real organisms. The properties of this model can be used to study the potential role of fields and positional information as guiding factors in morphogenesis, as the model facilitates the study of static images, time-series (movies) and experimental alterations of the developmental process. It is thus shown that gene interactions can be modeled as a multi-dimensional algebra, and that only two interacting genes are sufficient for (i) complex pattern formation, (ii) chaotic differentiation behavior, and (iii) production of sharp edges from a continuous positional information field. This model is meant to elucidate the properties of the process of positional information-guided biomorphogenesis, not to serve as a simulation of any particular organism's development. Good quantitative data are not currently available on the interplay of gene products in morphogenesis. Thus, no attempt is made to link the images produced with actual pictures of any particular real organism. A brief

  17. The ED use and non-urgent visits of elderly patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Umut Gulacti

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the use of the emergency department (ED by elderly patients, their non-urgent visits and the prevalence of main disease for ED visits. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged 65 years and over who visited the ED of a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey between January 2015 and January 2016 retrospectively. Results: A total of 36,369 elderly patients who visited the ED were included in the study. The rate of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population (p < 0.001. While the rate of elderly patients visiting polyclinics was 15.8%, the rate of elderly patients visiting the ED was 24.3% (p < 0.001. For both genders, the rates of ED visits for patients between 65 and 74 years old was higher than for other elderly age groups (p < 0.001. The prevalence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI was the highest within the elderly population (17.5%, CI: 17.1–17.9. The proportion of ED visits for non-urgent conditions was 23.4%. Most of the ED visits were during the non-business hours (51.1%, and they were highest in the winter season (25.9% and in January (10.2%. The hospitalization rate was 9.4%, and 37.9% of hospitalized patients were admitted to intensive care units. Conclusion: The proportion of ED visits by elderly patients was higher than their representation within the general population. Elderly patients often visited the ED instead of a polyclinic. The rate of inappropriate ED use by elderly patients in this hospital was higher than in other countries. Keywords: Non-urgent, Prevalence, Visit, Main disease, Elderly patient, Emergency department

  18. Hearing of Mr. Francois Roussely, President of EdF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roussely, F.

    2005-01-01

    This document is the proceedings of the hearing of F. Roussely, President of Electricite de France (EdF), at the commission of economic affairs of the French house of commons, about the advisability of the construction of the EPR (European pressurized reactor) demonstration plant and about its possible financing by EdF. In a first part, F. Roussely recalls the European context of deregulation of energy markets and its impact of the French electric power industry (opening of the French market, industrial and social actions of EdF, need of a new generation of nuclear reactor, preservation of EdF's energy mix, warranty of public utility, un-bundling between energy trade and distribution, EdF's turnover and profitability, EdF's foreign daughter companies). In a second part, F. Roussely answers a series of questions asked by the different members of the commission concerning the different points presented in the first part. (J.S.)

  19. The ED use and non-urgent visits of elderly patients

    OpenAIRE

    Gulacti, Umut; Lok, Ugur; Celik, Murat; Aktas, Nurettin; Polat, Haci

    2016-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the use of the emergency department (ED) by elderly patients, their non-urgent visits and the prevalence of main disease for ED visits. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on patients aged 65 years and over who visited the ED of a tertiary care university hospital in Turkey between January 2015 and January 2016 retrospectively. Results: A total of 36,369 elderly patients who visited the ED were included in the study. The rate of ED visits by elderly patien...

  20. The Impact of "ED" on Educational Research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florio, David H.

    1980-01-01

    The purposes, structure, and component parts of the newly formed Department of Education (ED) organizations from which educational research programs will be administered are discussed. As the climate surrounding ED changes, opportunities to take advantage of the elevated status of research will be presented. (Author/RL)

  1. Gene expression analysis of zebrafish melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium reveals indicators of biological function and developmental origin.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charles W Higdon

    Full Text Available In order to facilitate understanding of pigment cell biology, we developed a method to concomitantly purify melanocytes, iridophores, and retinal pigmented epithelium from zebrafish, and analyzed their transcriptomes. Comparing expression data from these cell types and whole embryos allowed us to reveal gene expression co-enrichment in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, as well as in melanocytes and iridophores. We found 214 genes co-enriched in melanocytes and retinal pigmented epithelium, indicating the shared functions of melanin-producing cells. We found 62 genes significantly co-enriched in melanocytes and iridophores, illustrative of their shared developmental origins from the neural crest. This is also the first analysis of the iridophore transcriptome. Gene expression analysis for iridophores revealed extensive enrichment of specific enzymes to coordinate production of their guanine-based reflective pigment. We speculate the coordinated upregulation of specific enzymes from several metabolic pathways recycles the rate-limiting substrate for purine synthesis, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, thus constituting a guanine cycle. The purification procedure and expression analysis described here, along with the accompanying transcriptome-wide expression data, provide the first mRNA sequencing data for multiple purified zebrafish pigment cell types, and will be a useful resource for further studies of pigment cell biology.

  2. Emergency Department (ED, ED Observation, Day Hospital, and Hospital Admissions for Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan Silva

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Use of alternative venues to manage uncomplicated vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC, such as a day hospital (DH or ED observation unit, for patients with sickle cell anemia, may significantly reduce admission rates, which may subsequently reduce 30-day readmission rates. Methods: In the context of a two-institution quality improvement project to implement best practices for management of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD VOC, we prospectively compared acute care encounters for utilization of 1 emergency department (ED; 2 ED observation unit; 3 DH, and 4 hospital admission, of two different patient cohorts with SCD presenting to our two study sites. Using a representative sample of patients from each institution, we also tabulated SCD patient visits or admissions to outside hospitals within 20 miles of the patients’ home institutions. Results: Over 30 months 427 patients (297 at Site 1 and 130 at Site 2 initiated 4,740 institutional visits, totaling 6,627 different acute care encounters, including combinations of encounters. The range of encounters varied from a low of 0 (203 of 500 patients [40.6%] at Site 1; 65 of 195 patients [33.3%] at Site 2, and a high of 152 (5/month acute care encounters for one patient at Site 2. Patients at Site 2 were more likely to be admitted to the hospital during the study period (88.4% vs. 74.4%, p=0.0011 and have an ED visit (96.9% vs. 85.5%, p=0.0002. DH was used more frequently at Site 1 (1.207 encounters for 297 patients at Site 1, vs. 199 encounters for 130 patients at Site 2, and ED observation was used at Site 1 only. Thirty-five percent of patients visited hospitals outside their home academic center. Conclusion: In this 30-month assessment of two sickle cell cohorts, healthcare utilization varied dramatically between individual patients. One cohort had more hospital admissions and ED encounters, while the other cohort had more day hospital encounters and used a sickle cell disease

  3. Avian models in teratology and developmental toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Susan M; Flentke, George R; Garic, Ana

    2012-01-01

    The avian embryo is a long-standing model for developmental biology research. It also has proven utility for toxicology research both in ovo and in explant culture. Like mammals, avian embryos have an allantois and their developmental pathways are highly conserved with those of mammals, thus avian models have biomedical relevance. Fertile eggs are inexpensive and the embryo develops rapidly, allowing for high-throughput. The chick genome is sequenced and significant molecular resources are available for study, including the ability for genetic manipulation. The absence of a placenta permits the direct study of an agent's embryotoxic effects. Here, we present protocols for using avian embryos in toxicology research, including egg husbandry and hatch, toxicant delivery, and assessment of proliferation, apoptosis, and cardiac structure and function.

  4. On small things in water moving around: Purcell's contributions to biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berg, Howard

    2012-02-01

    I went to see Purcell after finishing my course work for the Ph.D. (1961) to ask whether I might join his group. ``But I don't have any graduate students,`` he said. ``Why is that?'' I asked. ``I can't think of anything to do,'' he replied. That was a wipe out. After I had finished my Ph.D. with Ramsey on the hydrogen maser (1964), Ed and I came up with an idea that led to work on sedimentation field-flow fractionation (PNAS 1967). We had hoped this method would be useful for biology, but problems of adsorption of proteins to surfaces stood in the way. Then I moved over to the biology department and got interested in the motile behavior of bacteria (1968). Here was a subject that I thought Ed would really enjoy. There were wonderful movies made by Norbert Pfennig of experiments done by Theodor Engelmann in the 1880's. We found a 16-mm projector and looked at these movies on Ed's office wall. Ed's first comment proved seminal, ''How can such a small cell swim in a straight line?'' We thought about how cells count molecules in their environment and wrote ``Physics of chemoreception,'' (Biophys. J.,1977). In the meantime, Ed gave a memorable lecture at Viki Weisskopf's retirement symposium, his classic ``Life at low Reynolds number'' (Am. J. Phys. 1977). Ed really wanted to understand what it would be like to swim like a bacterium! He wasn't very interested in what the literature had to say about such a problem, he wanted to think it through for himself. My role was straight man. I very much enjoyed the ride.

  5. Contemporary issues in evolutionary biology

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    These discussions included, among others, the possible consequences of nonDNA-based inheritance—epigenetics and cultural evolution, niche construction, and developmental mechanisms on our understanding of the evolutionary process, speciation, complexity in biology, and constructing a formal evolutionary theory.

  6. Using the biological literature a practical guide

    CERN Document Server

    Schmidt, Diane

    2014-01-01

    IntroductionSearching the Biological LiteratureGeneral SourcesAssociationsBibliographiesClassification, Nomenclature, and SystematicsDictionaries and EncyclopediasDirectoriesField GuidesSeriesFull-Text SourcesGeneral WorksGuides for young ScientistsGuides to the LiteratureHandbooksHistoriesMathematics and StatisticsMethods and TechniquesTextbooks and TreatisesWriting GuidesPeriodicalsReviews of the LiteratureAbstracts and IndexesBiochemistry and BiophysicsMolecular and Cellular BiologyGenetics, Biotechnology, and Developmental BiologyMicrobiology and ImmunologyEcology, Evolution, and Animal BehaviorPlant BiologyAnatomy and PhysiologyEntomologyZoologyIndex.

  7. EDS Coal Liquefaction Process Development. Phase V. Laboratory evaluation of the characteristics of EDS Illinois bottoms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lao, T C; Levasseur, A A

    1984-02-01

    This interim report documents work carried out by Combustion Engineering, Inc. under a contract to Exxon Research and Engineering Company to develop a conceptual Hybrid Boiler design fueled by the vacuum distillation residue (vacuum bottoms) derived from Illinois No. 6 coal in the EDS Coal Liquefaction Process. This report was prepared by Combustion Engineering, Inc., and is the first of two reports on the predevelopment phase of the Hybrid Boiler program. This report covers the results of a laboratory investigation to assess the fuel and ash properties of EDS vacuum bottoms. The results of the laboratory testing reported here were used in conjunction with Combustion Engineering's design experience to predict fuel performance and to develop appropriate boiler design parameters. These boiler design parameters were used to prepare the engineering design study reported in EDS Interim Report FE-2893-113, the second of the two reports on the predevelopment phase of the Hybrid Boiler Program. 46 figures, 29 tables.

  8. Relations between intuitive biological thinking and biological misconceptions in biology majors and nonmajors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coley, John D; Tanner, Kimberly

    2015-03-02

    Research and theory development in cognitive psychology and science education research remain largely isolated. Biology education researchers have documented persistent scientifically inaccurate ideas, often termed misconceptions, among biology students across biological domains. In parallel, cognitive and developmental psychologists have described intuitive conceptual systems--teleological, essentialist, and anthropocentric thinking--that humans use to reason about biology. We hypothesize that seemingly unrelated biological misconceptions may have common origins in these intuitive ways of knowing, termed cognitive construals. We presented 137 undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors with six biological misconceptions. They indicated their agreement with each statement, and explained their rationale for their response. Results indicate frequent agreement with misconceptions, and frequent use of construal-based reasoning among both biology majors and nonmajors in their written explanations. Moreover, results also show associations between specific construals and the misconceptions hypothesized to arise from those construals. Strikingly, such associations were stronger among biology majors than nonmajors. These results demonstrate important linkages between intuitive ways of thinking and misconceptions in discipline-based reasoning, and raise questions about the origins, persistence, and generality of relations between intuitive reasoning and biological misconceptions. © 2015 J. D. Coley and K. Tanner. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  9. Can Nucleoli Be Markers of Developmental Potential in Human Zygotes?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Fulka, Helena; Kyogoku, H.; Zatsepina, O.; Langerova, A.; Fulka, J.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 21, č. 11 (2015), s. 663-672 ISSN 1471-4914 Grant - others:GA ČR GA13-03269S Institutional support: RVO:68378050 ; RVO:67985904 Keywords : human zygotes * developmental potential * nucleoli Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 9.292, year: 2015

  10. Ed overcrowding – matematic models for integrated solutions and decisions

    OpenAIRE

    ROTARU, LUCIANA TEODORA; BĂNICIOIU - COVEI, MIHAI

    2017-01-01

    Dear Editor In Chief, We are writing to You in line with an very interesting point of view regarding the Emergency Department (ED) development. The paper titled Improving Emergency Department Capacity Efficiency, published in your Journal 2016; 12(1): 52- 57, as an original articles, spotlight solution for ED crowding. So we are proposing a mathematics models for reciprocal accommodation of patients flows to the response capacity of the ED. ED overcrowding ...

  11. Social network size relates to developmental neural sensitivity to biological motion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.A. Kirby

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available The ability to perceive others’ actions and goals from human motion (i.e., biological motion perception is a critical component of social perception and may be linked to the development of real-world social relationships. Adult research demonstrates two key nodes of the brain’s biological motion perception system—amygdala and posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS—are linked to variability in social network properties. The relation between social perception and social network properties, however, has not yet been investigated in middle childhood—a time when individual differences in social experiences and social perception are growing. The aims of this study were to (1 replicate past work showing amygdala and pSTS sensitivity to biological motion in middle childhood; (2 examine age-related changes in the neural sensitivity for biological motion, and (3 determine whether neural sensitivity for biological motion relates to social network characteristics in children. Consistent with past work, we demonstrate a significant relation between social network size and neural sensitivity for biological motion in left pSTS, but do not find age-related change in biological motion perception. This finding offers evidence for the interplay between real-world social experiences and functional brain development and has important implications for understanding disorders of atypical social experience. Keywords: Biological motion, Social networks, Middle childhood, Neural specialization, Brain-behavior relations, pSTS

  12. Testing inferences in developmental evolution: the forensic evidence principle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larsson, Hans C E; Wagner, Günter P

    2012-09-01

    Developmental evolution (DE) examines the influence of developmental mechanisms on biological evolution. Here we consider the question: "what is the evidence that allows us to decide whether a certain developmental scenario for an evolutionary change is in fact "correct" or at least falsifiable?" We argue that the comparative method linked with what we call the "forensic evidence principle" (FEP) is sufficient to conduct rigorous tests of DE scenarios. The FEP states that different genetically mediated developmental causes of an evolutionary transformation will leave different signatures in the development of the derived character. Although similar inference rules have been used in practically every empirical science, we expand this approach here in two ways: (1) we justify the validity of this principle with reference to a well-known result from mathematical physics, known as the symmetry principle, and (2) propose a specific form of the FEP for DE: given two or more developmental explanations for a certain evolutionary event, say an evolutionary novelty, then the evidence discriminating between these hypotheses will be found in the most proximal internal drivers of the derived character. Hence, a detailed description of the ancestral and derived states, and their most proximal developmental drivers are necessary to discriminate between various evolutionary developmental hypotheses. We discuss how this stepwise order of testing is necessary, establishes a formal test, and how skipping this order of examination may violate a more accurate examination of DE. We illustrate the approach with an example from avian digit evolution. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Learning To Breathe: Developmental Phase Transitions in Oxygen Status.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Considine, Michael J; Diaz-Vivancos, Pedro; Kerchev, Pavel; Signorelli, Santiago; Agudelo-Romero, Patricia; Gibbs, Daniel J; Foyer, Christine H

    2017-02-01

    Plants are developmentally disposed to significant changes in oxygen availability, but our understanding of the importance of hypoxia is almost entirely limited to stress biology. Differential patterns of the abundance of oxygen, nitric oxide ( • NO), and reactive oxygen species (ROS), as well as of redox potential, occur in organs and meristems, and examples are emerging in the literature of mechanistic relationships of these to development. We describe here the convergence of these cues in meristematic and reproductive tissues, and discuss the evidence for regulated hypoxic niches within which oxygen-, ROS-, • NO-, and redox-dependent signalling curate developmental transitions in plants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Electrostatic-Dipole (ED) Fusion Confinement Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miley, George H.; Shrestha, Prajakti J.; Yang, Yang; Thomas, Robert

    2004-11-01

    The Electrostatic-Dipole (ED) concept significantly differs from a "pure" dipole confinement device [1] in that the charged particles are preferentially confined to the high-pressure region interior of the dipole coil by the assistance of a surrounding spherical electrostatic grid. In present ED experiments, a current carrying coil is embedded inside the grid of an IEC such as to produce a magnetic dipole field. Charged particles are injected axisymmetrically from an ion gun (or duo-plasmatron) into the center of the ED confinement grid/dipole ring where they oscillate along the magnetic field lines and pass the peak field region at the center of the dipole region. As particles begin accelerating away from the center region towards the outer electrostatic grid region, they encounter a strong electrostatic potential (order of 10's of kilovolts) retarding force. The particles then decelerate, reverse direction and re-enter the dipole field region where again magnetic confinement dominates. This process continues, emulating a complex harmonic oscillator motion. The resulting pressure profile averaged over the field curvature offers good plasma stability in the ED configuration. The basic concept and results from preliminary experiments will be described. [1] M.E. Mauel, et al. "Dipole Equilibrium and Stability," 18th IAEA Conference of Plasma Phys. and Control. Nuclear Fusion, Varenna, Italy 2000, IAEA-F1-CN-70/TH

  15. TaEDS1 genes positively regulate resistance to powdery mildew in wheat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Guiping; Wei, Bo; Li, Guoliang; Gong, Caiyan; Fan, Renchun; Zhang, Xiangqi

    2018-04-01

    Three EDS1 genes were cloned from common wheat and were demonstrated to positively regulate resistance to powdery mildew in wheat. The EDS1 proteins play important roles in plant basal resistance and TIR-NB-LRR protein-triggered resistance in dicots. Until now, there have been very few studies on EDS1 in monocots, and none in wheat. Here, we report on three common wheat orthologous genes of EDS1 family (TaEDS1-5A, 5B and 5D) and their function in powdery mildew resistance. Comparisons of these genes with their orthologs in diploid ancestors revealed that EDS1 is a conserved gene family in Triticeae. The cDNA sequence similarity among the three TaEDS1 genes was greater than 96.5%, and they shared sequence similarities of more than 99.6% with the respective orthologs from diploid ancestors. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the EDS1 family originated prior to the differentiation of monocots and dicots, and EDS1 members have since undergone clear structural differentiation. The transcriptional levels of TaEDS1 genes in the leaves were obviously higher than those of the other organs, and they were induced by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici (Bgt) infection and salicylic acid (SA) treatment. The BSMV-VIGS experiments indicated that knock-down the transcriptional levels of the TaEDS1 genes in a powdery mildew-resistant variety of common wheat compromised resistance. Contrarily, transient overexpression of TaEDS1 genes in a susceptible common wheat variety significantly reduced the haustorium index and attenuated the growth of Bgt. Furthermore, the expression of TaEDS1 genes in the Arabidopsis mutant eds1-1 complemented its susceptible phenotype to powdery mildew. The above evidences strongly suggest that TaEDS1 acts as a positive regulator and confers resistance against powdery mildew in common wheat.

  16. Phenotypic Plasticity, CYP19A1 Pleiotropy, and Maladaptive Selection in Developmental Disorders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Patrick Malone

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available The contribution of evolutionary psychology to the study of development and psychopathology depends on adherence to the principles of evolutionary biology. The human brain evolved because selection favored neither size nor complexity but instead the phenotypic plasticity supporting cognitive flexibility. Cell proliferation, migration, elongation, synaptogenesis, synaptic pruning, apoptosis, and myelination occur at varying rates during asynchronous phases of development throughout the brain. Developmentally sensitive periods result from phenotypic plasticity and are vital for adaptation to the environment. The biological systems surrounding the CYP19A1 gene provide mechanisms for neuroprotection and targeted neuronal debridement in response to environmental stress, uniting selection with developmental biology. Updates to Dunbar’s original hypothesis with current primatological data, inclusion of total brain mass, and the introduction of CYP19A1 orthology from nine primate species yields a linear regression, R 2 = .994, adjusted R 2 = .989, F(3, 5 = 143.758, p < .001.

  17. A comparative study of two advanced spraying techniques for the deposition of biologically active enzyme coatings onto bone-substituting implants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jonge, Lise T. de; Ju, J.; Leeuwenburgh, S.C.G.; Yamagata, Y.; Higuchi, T.; Wolke, J.G.C.; Inoue, K.; Jansen, J.A.

    2010-01-01

    Surface modification of implant materials with biomolecule coatings is of high importance to improve implant fixation in bone tissue. In the current study, we present two techniques for the deposition of biologically active enzyme coatings onto implant materials. The well-established thin film ElectroSpray Deposition (ESD) technique was compared with the SAW-ED technique that combines high-frequency Surface Acoustic Wave atomization with Electrostatic Deposition. By immobilizing the enzyme alkaline phosphatase (ALP) onto implant surfaces, the influence of both SAW-ED and ESD deposition parameters on ALP deposition efficiency and ALP biological activity was investigated. ALP coatings with preserved enzyme activity were deposited by means of both the SAW-ED and ESD technique. The advantages of SAW-ED over ESD include the possibility to spray highly conductive protein solutions, and the 60-times faster deposition rate. Furthermore, significantly higher deposition efficiencies were observed for the SAW-ED technique compared to ESD. Generally, it was shown that protein inactivation is highly dependent on both droplet dehydration and the applied electrical field strength. The current study shows that SAW-ED is a versatile and flexible technique for the fabrication of functionally active biomolecule coatings.

  18. Annelids in evolutionary developmental biology and comparative genomics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mcdougall C.

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Annelids have had a long history in comparative embryology and morphology, which has helped to establish them in zoology textbooks as an ideal system to understand the evolution of the typical triploblastic, coelomate, protostome condition. In recent years there has been a relative upsurge in embryological data, particularly with regard to the expression and function of developmental control genes. Polychaetes, as well as other annelids such as the parasitic leech, are now also entering the age of comparative genomics. All of this comparative data has had an important impact on our views of the ancestral conditions at various levels of the animal phylogeny, including the bilaterian ancestor and the nature of the annelid ancestor. Here we review some of the recent advances made in annelid comparative development and genomics, revealing a hitherto unsuspected level of complexity in these ancestors. It is also apparent that the transition to a parasitic lifestyle leads to, or requires, extensive modifications and derivations at both the genomic and embryological levels.

  19. Constructivist developmental theory is needed in developmental neuroscience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arsalidou, Marie; Pascual-Leone, Juan

    2016-12-01

    Neuroscience techniques provide an open window previously unavailable to the origin of thoughts and actions in children. Developmental cognitive neuroscience is booming, and knowledge from human brain mapping is finding its way into education and pediatric practice. Promises of application in developmental cognitive neuroscience rests however on better theory-guided data interpretation. Massive amounts of neuroimaging data from children are being processed, yet published studies often do not frame their work within developmental models—in detriment, we believe, to progress in this field. Here we describe some core challenges in interpreting the data from developmental cognitive neuroscience, and advocate the use of constructivist developmental theories of human cognition with a neuroscience interpretation.

  20. Moments of disaster response in the emergency department (ED).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammad, Karen S; Arbon, Paul; Gebbie, Kristine; Hutton, Alison

    2017-11-01

    We experience our lives as a series of memorable moments, some good and some bad. Undoubtedly, the experience of participating in disaster response, is likely to stand out as a memorable moment in a nurses' career. This presentation will describe five distinct moments of nursing in the emergency department (ED) during a disaster response. A Hermeneutic Phenomenological approach informed by van Manen underpins the research process. Thirteen nurses from different countries around the world participated in interviews about their experience of working in the ED during a disaster. Thematic analysis resulted in five moments of disaster response which are common to the collective participant experience. The 5 themes emerge as Notification (as a nurse finds out that the ED will be receiving casualties), Waiting (waiting for the patients to arrive to the ED), Patient Arrival (the arrival of the first patients to the ED), Caring for patients (caring for people affected by the disaster) and Reflection (the moment the disaster response comes to an end). This paper provides an in-depth insight into the experience of nursing in the ED during a disaster response which can help generate awareness and inform future disaster preparedness of emergency nurses. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. The nucleic acid revolution continues - will forensic biology become forensic molecular biology?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunn, Peter; Walsh, Simon; Roux, Claude

    2014-01-01

    Molecular biology has evolved far beyond that which could have been predicted at the time DNA identity testing was established. Indeed we should now perhaps be referring to "forensic molecular biology." Aside from DNA's established role in identifying the "who" in crime investigations, other developments in medical and developmental molecular biology are now ripe for application to forensic challenges. The impact of DNA methylation and other post-fertilization DNA modifications, plus the emerging role of small RNAs in the control of gene expression, is re-writing our understanding of human biology. It is apparent that these emerging technologies will expand forensic molecular biology to allow for inferences about "when" a crime took place and "what" took place. However, just as the introduction of DNA identity testing engendered many challenges, so the expansion of molecular biology into these domains will raise again the issues of scientific validity, interpretation, probative value, and infringement of personal liberties. This Commentary ponders some of these emerging issues, and presents some ideas on how they will affect the conduct of forensic molecular biology in the foreseeable future.

  2. Biomarkers to assess potential developmental immunotoxicity in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luster, Michael I.; Johnson, Victor J.; Yucesoy, Berran; Simeonova, Petia P.

    2005-01-01

    Clinical tests are readily available for assessing severe loss of immune function in children with diseases such as AIDS or primary immunodeficiency. However tests that could reliably identify subtle immune changes, as might be expected to result from exposure to developmental immunotoxic agents, are not readily available. A number of tests are described which we believe have potential applicability for epidemiological studies involving developmental immunotoxicity. Several of the tests, such as T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TRECs) and cytokine measurements, while highly relevant from a biological standpoint, may be precluded from use at the current time, for either technical issues or insufficient validation. Immunophenotyping and measurement of serum immunoglobulin levels, on the other hand, are well validated. Yet they may require extraordinary care in experimental design and technical performance in order to obtain data that would consistently detect subtle changes, as these tests are not generally considered highly sensitive. Quantification of the immune response to childhood vaccine, while up to the present used sparingly, may represent an excellent indicator for developmental immunotoxicity when conducted under appropriate conditions

  3. 2003 annual results of EdF group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-03-01

    The Electricite de France (EdF) group Board of Directors, meeting on March 11, 2004, under the Chairmanship of Francois Roussely, reviewed the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 12/31/2003. This document presents the consolidated results of EdF group for 2003: consolidated financial statements, highlights of the year, focus on 2003 events, commercial results, EDF in Europe and worldwide, EDF France highlights, key figures. (J.S.)

  4. Psychology and evolutionary biology; Causal analysis, evidence, and nomothetic laws

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Hezewijk, René

    2008-01-01

    Published as a chapter in Van Hezewijk, R. (2003). Psychology and evolutionary biology; Causal analysis, evidence, and nomothetic laws. In N. Stephenson, L. Radtke, R. Jorna & H. J. Stam (Eds.), Theoretical psychology; Critical contributions (pp. 405-415). Concord, Ontario: Captus Press.

  5. Recent advances in mathematical modeling of developmental abnormalities using mechanistic information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavlock, R J

    1997-01-01

    During the last several years, significant changes in the risk assessment process for developmental toxicity of environmental contaminants have begun to emerge. The first of these changes is the development and beginning use of statistically based dose-response models [the benchmark dose (BMD) approach] that better utilize data derived from existing testing approaches. Accompanying this change is the greater emphasis placed on understanding and using mechanistic information to yield more accurate, reliable, and less uncertain risk assessments. The next stage in the evolution of risk assessment will be the use of biologically based dose-response (BBDR) models that begin to build into the statistically based models factors related to the underlying kinetic, biochemical, and/or physiologic processes perturbed by a toxicant. Such models are now emerging from several research laboratories. The introduction of quantitative models and the incorporation of biologic information into them has pointed to the need for even more sophisticated modifications for which we offer the term embryologically based dose-response (EBDR) models. Because these models would be based upon the understanding of normal morphogenesis, they represent a quantum leap in our thinking, but their complexity presents daunting challenges both to the developmental biologist and the developmental toxicologist. Implementation of these models will require extensive communication between developmental toxicologists, molecular embryologists, and biomathematicians. The remarkable progress in the understanding of mammalian embryonic development at the molecular level that has occurred over the last decade combined with advances in computing power and computational models should eventually enable these as yet hypothetical models to be brought into use.

  6. Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Short, W.; Sullivan, P.; Mai, T.; Mowers, M.; Uriarte, C.; Blair, N.; Heimiller, D.; Martinez, A.

    2011-12-01

    The Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) is a deterministic optimization model of the deployment of electric power generation technologies and transmission infrastructure throughout the contiguous United States into the future. The model, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Strategic Energy Analysis Center, is designed to analyze the critical energy issues in the electric sector, especially with respect to potential energy policies, such as clean energy and renewable energy standards or carbon restrictions. ReEDS provides a detailed treatment of electricity-generating and electrical storage technologies and specifically addresses a variety of issues related to renewable energy technologies, including accessibility and cost of transmission, regional quality of renewable resources, seasonal and diurnal generation profiles, variability of wind and solar power, and the influence of variability on the reliability of the electrical grid. ReEDS addresses these issues through a highly discretized regional structure, explicit statistical treatment of the variability in wind and solar output over time, and consideration of ancillary services' requirements and costs.

  7. MANY MEN USED ED TREATMENT WITHOUT THEIR PARTNERS’ KNOWLEDGE

    OpenAIRE

    Tan HM; Choo WY; Ng CJ; Low WY

    2007-01-01

    This paper aimed to identify and explore the understanding and perception of erectile dysfunction (ED) using exploratory qualitative approaches. This study was conducted in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 urban men aged 40-75 years. A semi-structural interview guide was used to explore men’s understanding of ED, impacts on their well-being and experiences with treatments. The focus groups revealed that ED was perceived to be an important loss in men’s lives ...

  8. Ontogeny and Evolution Through the Lens of the Developmental Systems Theory (DST

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicente Dressino

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The Developmental Systems Theory (DST intends to make a conceptual summary that links ontogenic development to evolution. This theory’s background may be found in the works of Waddington and Bertalanffy, who provided the foundations for the canalization of development and the biological systems theory, respectively. The aim of this work is to make a preliminary conceptual analysis of DST as a theoretical framework for developmental biology in particular and for evolutionary biology in general. For that purpose, we will take into account some of the concepts and proposals that constitute this framework, and we will work with secondary data obtained from the bibliography. We conclude that: 1. DST is able to argue against the gene centrist vision about the explanations that try to justify biological and evolutionary development; 2. DST argues coherently in favor of the role of Epigenetics in ontogeny and evolution; 3. In connection to that, the role of natural selection is restricted to a secondary plane; 4. DST proposes that the nature/nurture dichotomy must be overcome; and 5. DST constitutes a possible methodological research program composed of a series of not necessarily related hypothesis, theories, and methods that may be confirmed in a relatively independent manner from the rest of the theoretical network.

  9. A roadmap for the integration of culture into developmental psychopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Causadias, José M

    2013-11-01

    In this paper, I propose a roadmap for the integration of culture in developmental psychopathology. This integration is pressing because culture continues to be somewhat disconnected from theory, research, training, and interventions in developmental psychopathology, thus limiting our understanding of the epigenesis of mental health. I argue that in order to successfully integrate culture into developmental psychopathology, it is crucial to (a) study cultural development, (b) consider both individual-level and social-level cultural processes, (c) examine the interplay between culture and biology, and (d) promote improved and direct cultural assessment. I provide evidence in support of each of these guidelines, present alternative conceptual frameworks, and suggest new lines of research. Hopefully, that these directions will contribute to the emerging field of cultural development and psychopathology, which focuses on the elucidation of the cultural processes that initiate, maintain, or derail trajectories of normal and abnormal behavior.

  10. My Dog's Cheeks: A PBL Project on Collagen for Cell Biology and Genetics Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casla, Alberto Vicario; Zubiaga, Isabel Smith

    2010-01-01

    Students often have an oversimplified view of biological facts, which may hinder subsequent understanding when conceptual complexity gives rise to cognitive conflicts. To avoid this situation here, we present a PBL approach for the analysis of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which integrates a variety of topics in cell biology, genetics, and…

  11. Hydroxylated PBDEs induce developmental arrest in zebrafish

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Usenko, Crystal Y., E-mail: Crystal_usenko@baylor.edu; Hopkins, David C.; Trumble, Stephen J., E-mail: Stephen_trumble@baylor.edu; Bruce, Erica D., E-mail: Erica_bruce@baylor.edu

    2012-07-01

    The ubiquitous spread of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) has led to concerns regarding the metabolites of these congeners, in particular hydroxylated PBDEs. There are limited studies regarding the biological interactions of these chemicals, yet there is some concern they may be more toxic than their parent compounds. In this study three hydroxylated PBDEs were assessed for toxicity in embryonic zebrafish: 3-OH-BDE 47, 5-OH-BDE 47, and 6-OH-BDE 47. All three congeners induced developmental arrest in a concentration-dependent manner; however, 6-OH-BDE 47 induced adverse effects at lower concentrations than the other congeners. Furthermore, all three induced cell death; however apoptosis was not observed. In short-term exposures (24–28 hours post fertilization), all hydroxylated PBDEs generated oxidative stress in the region corresponding to the cell death at 5 and 10 ppm. To further investigate the short-term effects that may be responsible for the developmental arrest observed in this study, gene regulation was assessed for embryos exposed to 0.625 ppm 6-OH-BDE 47 from 24 to 28 hpf. Genes involved in stress response, thyroid hormone regulation, and neurodevelopment were significantly upregulated compared to controls; however, genes related to oxidative stress were either unaffected or downregulated. This study suggests that hydroxylated PBDEs disrupt development, and may induce oxidative stress and potentially disrupt the cholinergic system and thyroid hormone homeostasis. -- Highlights: ► OH-PBDEs induce developmental arrest in a concentration-dependent manner. ► Hydroxyl group location influences biological interaction. ► OH-PBDEs induce oxidative stress. ► Thyroid hormone gene regulation was disrupted following exposure. ► To our knowledge, this is the first whole organism study of OH-PBDE toxicity.

  12. A Eukaryote without a Mitochondrial Organelle

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Karnkowska, A.; Vacek, V.; Zubáčová, Z.; Treitli, S.C.; Petrzelkova, R.; Eme, L.; Novák, L.; Žárský, V.; Barlow, L.D.; Herman, E.K.; Soukal, P.; Hroudová, Miluše; Doležal, P.; Stairs, C.W.; Roger, A. J.; Eliaš, M.; Dacks, J.B.; Vlček, Čestmír; Hampl, V.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 26, č. 10 (2016), s. 1274-1284 ISSN 0960-9822 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LQ1604; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA ČR GAP506/12/1010 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : arginine dihydrolase pathway * tail-anchored proteins * fe-s cluster * trichomonas-vaginalis * entamoeba-histolytica * giardia-intestinalis * tritrichomonas-fetus * genome annotation * energy-metabolism * gene-transfer Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 8.851, year: 2016

  13. Philosophy of Systems and Synthetic Biology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Green, Sara

    2017-01-01

    This entry aims to clarify how systems and synthetic biology contribute to and extend discussions within philosophy of science. Unlike fields such as developmental biology or molecular biology, systems and synthetic biology are not easily demarcated by a focus on a specific subject area or level...... of organization. Rather, they are characterized by the development and application of mathematical, computational, and synthetic modeling strategies in response to complex problems and challenges within the life sciences. Proponents of systems and synthetic biology often stress the necessity of a perspective...... that goes beyond the scope of molecular biology and genetic engineering, respectively. With the emphasis on systems and interaction networks, the approaches explicitly engage in one of the oldest philosophical discussions on the relationship between parts and wholes, or between reductionism and holism...

  14. MANY MEN USED ED TREATMENT WITHOUT THEIR PARTNERS’ KNOWLEDGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tan HM

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper aimed to identify and explore the understanding and perception of erectile dysfunction (ED using exploratory qualitative approaches. This study was conducted in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 urban men aged 40-75 years. A semi-structural interview guide was used to explore men’s understanding of ED, impacts on their well-being and experiences with treatments. The focus groups revealed that ED was perceived to be an important loss in men’s lives as sexual performance was closely related to manhood. The men associated ED with a loss of masculinity and self-esteem. Men’s understanding of ED treatments was restricted to phophodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE-5 inhibitors and traditional therapies. Although PDE-5 inhibitors were perceived to be effective, they were concerned about their safety and costs. Some of the men have learned to cope with ED rather than to seek help, particularly among older men, who attributed their decreased sexual capacities and erection difficulties to aging, and therefore conditioned themselves to accepting it. In contrast, younger men who have erectile difficulties are considered as ‘abnormal’, and are more likely to seek help and receive treatment for their sexual problem. Men’s knowledge of and experience with modern treatments of ED were mainly associated with PDE-5 inhibitors. Their perception towards PDE-5 inhibitors was largely influenced by personal experience, information from mass media and friends. The high cost and fear of side effects were two main deterrents in the use of PDE-5 inhibitors. Many men had conceded their use of PDE-5 inhibitors without their partners’ knowledge. They worried that their partners would view the matter with suspicion and mistrust.

  15. ExpandED Options: Learning beyond High School Walls

    Science.gov (United States)

    ExpandED Schools, 2014

    2014-01-01

    Through ExpandED Options by TASC, New York City high school students get academic credit for learning career-related skills that lead to paid summer jobs. Too many high school students--including those most likely to drop out--are bored or see classroom learning as irrelevant. ExpandED Options students live the connection between mastering new…

  16. Partial differential equations for self-organization in cellular and developmental biology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baker, R E; Gaffney, E A; Maini, P K

    2008-01-01

    Understanding the mechanisms governing and regulating the emergence of structure and heterogeneity within cellular systems, such as the developing embryo, represents a multiscale challenge typifying current integrative biology research, namely, explaining the macroscale behaviour of a system from microscale dynamics. This review will focus upon modelling how cell-based dynamics orchestrate the emergence of higher level structure. After surveying representative biological examples and the models used to describe them, we will assess how developments at the scale of molecular biology have impacted on current theoretical frameworks, and the new modelling opportunities that are emerging as a result. We shall restrict our survey of mathematical approaches to partial differential equations and the tools required for their analysis. We will discuss the gap between the modelling abstraction and biological reality, the challenges this presents and highlight some open problems in the field. (invited article)

  17. TrED: the Trichophyton rubrum Expression Database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Tao

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Trichophyton rubrum is the most common dermatophyte species and the most frequent cause of fungal skin infections in humans worldwide. It's a major concern because feet and nail infections caused by this organism is extremely difficult to cure. A large set of expression data including expressed sequence tags (ESTs and transcriptional profiles of this important fungal pathogen are now available. Careful analysis of these data can give valuable information about potential virulence factors, antigens and novel metabolic pathways. We intend to create an integrated database TrED to facilitate the study of dermatophytes, and enhance the development of effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Description All publicly available ESTs and expression profiles of T. rubrum during conidial germination in time-course experiments and challenged with antifungal agents are deposited in the database. In addition, comparative genomics hybridization results of 22 dermatophytic fungi strains from three genera, Trichophyton, Microsporum and Epidermophyton, are also included. ESTs are clustered and assembled to elongate the sequence length and abate redundancy. TrED provides functional analysis based on GenBank, Pfam, and KOG databases, along with KEGG pathway and GO vocabulary. It is integrated with a suite of custom web-based tools that facilitate querying and retrieving various EST properties, visualization and comparison of transcriptional profiles, and sequence-similarity searching by BLAST. Conclusion TrED is built upon a relational database, with a web interface offering analytic functions, to provide integrated access to various expression data of T. rubrum and comparative results of dermatophytes. It is devoted to be a comprehensive resource and platform to assist functional genomic studies in dermatophytes. TrED is available from URL: http://www.mgc.ac.cn/TrED/.

  18. A comparison of the analysis of REE-bearing phosphates by standardless EDS and standardised EDS and WDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Griffin, B.J.; Hancock, R.C.; Trautman, R.L.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Current generation energy dispersive X-ray analysis systems EDS on SEM are user-friendly with 'simple' software interfaces. Minimal training is considered necessary for operation. One aim of this study was to test this hypothesis. The second aim, as a part of other studies, was to compare the results of the x-ray microanalysis of a suite of rare earth element (REE) bearing standard glasses and also a suite of rare earth element (REE) bearing phosphate mineral grains using different analytical systems. Our results from the same sample mounts have been obtained using three analytical systems: an Oxford Instruments ISIS EDS on a JEOL 6400 SEM, a Noran Voyager EDS on a JEOL 6400 SEM and a Moran Scientific WDS package on a JEOL 6400 SEM. A total of forty nine natural mineral grains have been analysed for twenty-two elements, including the REE, Ca, P and F (where possible) by each analytical system. Additional analyses were obtained from simple REE-bearing glass standards, each containing only one REE at around 11 wt %. The natural mineral grain results obtained from the different analytical systems show a number of significant variations. The two EDS datasets are comparable in terms of total REE but generally are a factor of two less than the WDS dataset. Internally the EDS datasets differ in that one set shows consistently a strong negative yttrium oxide result (typically -1 wt %) due to an excessive correction for a strong phosphorus overlap (Ka on La) whereas the second dataset shows the reverse with typically 1 wt % yttrium oxide reported, as a result of inadequate correction of the phosphorus overlap. Major elements are comparable between the standard-based datasets but not with the standardless dataset although all show similar reproducibility. The standard glass results are more coherent and consistent, as would be expected from the simpler composition and higher abundances. One clear outcome from these data is that complex compositions where

  19. Differentiating the Neural Response to Intervention in Children with Developmental Dyslexia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Odegard, Timothy N.; Ring, Jeremiah; Smith, Stephanie; Biggan, John; Black, Jeff

    2008-01-01

    Developmental dyslexia is associated with functional abnormalities within reading areas of the brain. For some children diagnosed with dyslexia, phonologically based remediation programs appear to rehabilitate brain function in key reading areas (Shaywitz et al., Biological Psychiatry 55: 101-110, 2004; Simos et al., Neuroscience 58: 1203-1213,…

  20. Phenotypic variability of the kyphoscoliotic type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS VIA): clinical, molecular and biochemical delineation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background The kyphoscoliotic type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS VIA) (OMIM 225400) is a rare inheritable connective tissue disorder characterized by a deficiency of collagen lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1; EC 1.14.11.4) due to mutations in PLOD1. Biochemically this results in underhydroxylation of collagen lysyl residues and, hence, an abnormal pattern of lysyl pyridinoline (LP) and hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP) crosslinks excreted in the urine. Clinically the disorder is characterized by hypotonia and kyphoscoliosis at birth, joint hypermobility, and skin hyperelasticity and fragility. Severe hypotonia usually leads to delay in gross motor development, whereas cognitive development is reported to be normal. Methods We describe the clinical, biochemical and molecular characterisation, as well as electron microscopy findings of skin, in 15 patients newly diagnosed with this rare type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Results Age at diagnosis ranged from 5 months to 27 years, with only 1/3 of the patients been diagnosed correctly in the first year of life. A similar disease frequency was found in females and males, however a broad disease severity spectrum (intra- and interfamilial), independent of molecular background or biochemical phenotype, was observed. Kyphoscoliosis, one of the main clinical features was not present at birth in 4 patients. Importantly we also noted the occurrence of vascular rupture antenatally and postnatally, as well as developmental delay in 5 patients. Conclusion In view of these findings we propose that EDS VIA is a highly variable clinical entity, presenting with a broad clinical spectrum, which may also be associated with cognitive delay and an increased risk for vascular events. Genotype/phenotype association studies and additional molecular investigations in more extended EDS VIA populations will be necessary to further elucidate the cause of the variability of the disease severity. PMID:21699693

  1. Phenotypic variability of the kyphoscoliotic type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS VIA: clinical, molecular and biochemical delineation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kariminejad Ariana

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The kyphoscoliotic type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS VIA (OMIM 225400 is a rare inheritable connective tissue disorder characterized by a deficiency of collagen lysyl hydroxylase 1 (LH1; EC 1.14.11.4 due to mutations in PLOD1. Biochemically this results in underhydroxylation of collagen lysyl residues and, hence, an abnormal pattern of lysyl pyridinoline (LP and hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP crosslinks excreted in the urine. Clinically the disorder is characterized by hypotonia and kyphoscoliosis at birth, joint hypermobility, and skin hyperelasticity and fragility. Severe hypotonia usually leads to delay in gross motor development, whereas cognitive development is reported to be normal. Methods We describe the clinical, biochemical and molecular characterisation, as well as electron microscopy findings of skin, in 15 patients newly diagnosed with this rare type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Results Age at diagnosis ranged from 5 months to 27 years, with only 1/3 of the patients been diagnosed correctly in the first year of life. A similar disease frequency was found in females and males, however a broad disease severity spectrum (intra- and interfamilial, independent of molecular background or biochemical phenotype, was observed. Kyphoscoliosis, one of the main clinical features was not present at birth in 4 patients. Importantly we also noted the occurrence of vascular rupture antenatally and postnatally, as well as developmental delay in 5 patients. Conclusion In view of these findings we propose that EDS VIA is a highly variable clinical entity, presenting with a broad clinical spectrum, which may also be associated with cognitive delay and an increased risk for vascular events. Genotype/phenotype association studies and additional molecular investigations in more extended EDS VIA populations will be necessary to further elucidate the cause of the variability of the disease severity.

  2. Developmentally dependent and different roles of fatty acids OMEGA-6 and OMEGA-3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mourek, J; Mourek, J

    2011-01-01

    The developmentally-dependent differences in the biological significances and effects of PUFA-OMEGA-6 (namely of arachidonic acid) and PUFA-OMEGA-3 (namely of docosahexaenoic acid) are discussed. The clinical results as well as developmental experiences are indicating a hypothesis of the evolution...... that created mutual relationship between those two substances (with immunological basis and following recuperation). The anti-inflammatory actions of PUFA-OMEGA-3 are the most visible (and significant) contrasts as compared with the large affects of namely arachidonic acid and its metabolites....

  3. CME1003Pg023ED

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Chantel

    resistance alone or severe defects in ... skeletal muscle and liver, decreased ... weight loss through calorie-restrict- ed diets .... carbohydrate and lipid metabolism.12 ... and a variable effect on low-density ... months of therapy.18 Comparison.

  4. SJP0704Pg001ED

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Enrique

    and an updated overview of newer research in this field. It also gives practical ... schizophrenia, manic episodes, major depressive disorder sec- ondary to schizophrenia ..... of Cerebral Disorder. 3rd ed. London: Blackwell Science, 1998. 16.

  5. Ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS) perturbs epididymal epithelial cell function in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klinefelter, G.

    1990-01-01

    The formation of sperm granulomas in the epididymis following exposure to EDS, a Leydig cell toxicant, was reported by Cooper and Jackson in 1970. Recent work suggests that EDS may effect the epididymis directly. An in vitro system was developed to determine the nature of any direct effect. The caput epididymis from adult rats was dissected free of connective tissue and small pieces of the tissue were enzymatically digested until plaques of epididymal epithelial cells were obtained. Plaques were cultured on an extracellular matrix gelled on top of a semipermeable filter creating dual-compartment environments. The epithelial cells maintained typical morphology and protein secretion in this culture system for several days. Beginning on day 3, EDS (1 mM) was added to the basal compartment, with or without 35 S-methionine. After 24 hours, 35 S-labelled culture medium was taken from the apical compartment and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and fluorography. EDS caused decreased secretion of several proteins, including a 39 Kd molecule. Interestingly, a 39 Kd protein was also shown to disappear from sperm taken from the caput epididymidis following in vivo exposure to EDS. Unlabelled cultures were fixed and processed for light microscopy. No alterations in morphological integrity were observed. Thus, epididymal epithelial cell function is directly altered by EDS exposure

  6. Met Ed gets reprieve: banks lend tax money

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Utroska, D.

    1981-01-01

    A consortium of banks agreed to loan Metropolitan Edison $23 million to pay its April 15 state taxes and temporarily relieve a cash-flow problem that is leading to default after the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission expedited a rate request. The continued solvency of Met Ed is a matter of speculation because the present credit formula is based on liquid assets which the PUC did not address. While the action taken by the bankers gives Met Ed a reprieve, it does not provide a long-term solution. The Revolving Credit Agreement will expire on October 1. Met Ed is still faced with the problem of relicensing Three Mile Island-1 unit and the cost of underwriting the cleanup of the No. 2 unit

  7. ED50 and ED95 of Intrathecal Bupivacaine Coadministered with Sufentanil for Cesarean Delivery Under Combined Spinal-epidural in Severely Preeclamptic Patients

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Fei Xiao; Wen-Ping Xu; Xiao-Min Zhang; Yin-Fa Zhang; Li-Zhong Wang; Xin-Zhong Chen

    2015-01-01

    Background:Spinal anesthesia was considered as a reasonable anesthetic option in severe preeclampsia when cesarean delivery is indicated,and there is no indwelling epidural catheter or contraindication to spinal anesthesia.However,the ideal dose of intrathecal bupivacaine has not been quantified for cesarean delivery for severe preeclamptic patients.This study aimed to determine the ED50 and ED95 of intrathecal bupivacaine for severely preeclamptic patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery.Methods:Two hundred severely preeclamptic patients are undergoing elective cesarean delivery under combined spinal-epidural anesthesia enrolled in this randomized,double-blinded,dose-ranging study.Patients received 4 mg,6 mg,8 mg,or 10 mg intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine with 2.5 μg sufentanil.Successful spinal anesthesia was defined as a T6 sensory level achieved within 10 minutes after intrathecal drug administration and/or no epidural supplement was required during the cesarean section.The ED50 and ED95 were calculated with a logistic regression model.Results:ED50 and ED95 ofintrathecal bupivacaine for successful spinal anesthesia were 5.67 mg (95% confidence interval [CI]:5.20-6.10 mg) and 8.82 mg (95% CI:8.14-9.87 mg) respectively.The incidence of hypotension in Group 8 mg and Group 10 mg was higher than that in Group 4 mg and Group 6 mg (P < 0.05).The sensory block was significantly different among groups 10 minutes after intrathecal injection (P < 0.05).The use of lidocaine in Group 4 mg was higher than that in other groups (P < 0.05).The use of phenylephrine in Group 8 mg and Group 10 mg was higher than that in the other two groups (P < 0.05).The lowest systolic blood pressure before the infant delivery of Group 8 mg and Group 10 mg was lower than the other two groups (P < 0.05).The satisfaction of muscle relaxation in Group 4 mg was lower than other groups (P < 0.05).There was no significant difference in patients' satisfaction and the newborns

  8. Are Biology and Chemistry Out of Order?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudin, Felix A.

    1984-01-01

    Discusses advantages and disadvantages of standard high school biology and chemistry course sequences. Relates these sequences to Piagetian developmental levels as well as to David Ausubel's cognitive theory. Suggests that the sequences be reexamined in light of issues considered. (JM)

  9. Imaging the developing heart: synchronized time-lapse microscopy during developmental changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Carl J.; Buckley, Charlotte; Mullins, John J.; Denvir, Martin A.; Taylor, Jonathan

    2018-02-01

    How do you use imaging to analyse the development of the heart, which not only changes shape but also undergoes constant, high-speed, quasi-periodic changes? We have integrated ideas from prospective and retrospective optical gating to capture long-term, phase-locked developmental time-lapse videos. In this paper we demonstrate the success of this approach over a key developmental time period: heart looping, where large changes in heart shape prevent previous prospective gating approaches from capturing phase- locked videos. We use the comparison with other approaches to in vivo heart imaging to highlight the importance of collecting the most appropriate data for the biological question.

  10. A Developmental and Genetic Classification for Malformations of Cortical Development: Update 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkovich, A. James; Guerrini, Renzo; Kuzniecky, Ruben I.; Jackson, Graeme D.; Dobyns, William B.

    2012-01-01

    Malformations of cerebral cortical development include a wide range of developmental disorders that are common causes of neurodevelopmental delay and epilepsy. In addition, study of these disorders contributes greatly to the understanding of normal brain development and its perturbations. The rapid recent evolution of molecular biology, genetics…

  11. A Biosocial Developmental Model of Borderline Personality: Elaborating and Extending Linehan's Theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowell, Sheila E.; Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Linehan, Marsha M.

    2009-01-01

    Over the past several decades, research has focused increasingly on developmental precursors to psychological disorders that were previously assumed to emerge only in adulthood. This change in focus follows from the recognition that complex transactions between biological vulnerabilities and psychosocial risk factors shape emotional and behavioral…

  12. Limits in the evolution of biological form: a theoretical morphologic perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGhee, George R

    2015-12-06

    Limits in the evolution of biological form can be empirically demonstrated by using theoretical morphospace analyses, and actual analytic examples are given for univalved ammonoid shell form, bivalved brachiopod shell form and helical bryozoan colony form. Limits in the evolution of form in these animal groups can be shown to be due to functional and developmental constraints on possible evolutionary trajectories in morphospace. Future evolutionary-limit research is needed to analyse the possible existence of temporal constraint in the evolution of biological form on Earth, and in the search for the possible existence of functional alien life forms on Titan and Triton that are developmentally impossible for Earth life.

  13. Borderline personality disorder and the emerging field of developmental neuroscience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crowell, Sheila E; Kaufman, Erin A

    2016-10-01

    Over the past 2 decades there has been a dramatic shift in understanding of personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). What was historically viewed as an entrenched pattern of antagonistic, interpersonally dependent, and uncorrectable conduct is now seen as the outcome of complex-yet modifiable-developmental processes. The borderline label, which once inspired such harsh opprobrium in clinical communities that early diagnosis was considered taboo, is now increasingly applied to adolescents who are receiving effective treatment and desisting from a borderline trajectory. Research examining the developmental origins and early manifestations of BPD is increasing rapidly, making it an appropriate time to take stock of current developmental research and articulate an agenda for the future. We identify 4 challenges that continue to impede innovative research on borderline personality development: (a) inadequate attention to continuity and discontinuity across development, (b) medical and diagnostic systems that localize personality pathology within the individual, (c) the lingering belief that biological research is antithetical to contextual/interpersonal understandings of psychopathology (and vice versa), and (d) reluctance to reach across disciplinary and developmental boundaries to identify creative paradigms and foster innovative discovery. In order to overcome these challenges, we propose an approach to future research on adolescent borderline pathology that integrates developmental psychopathology, social and affective neuroscience, and personality theory perspectives. This intersection-the developmental neuroscience of personality pathology-offers theoretical and methodological advantages over disciplinary isolation and is fertile ground for generating novel hypotheses on the development and prevention of BPD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  14. Toward reliable and repeatable automated STEM-EDS metrology with high throughput

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Zhenxin; Donald, Jason; Dutrow, Gavin; Roller, Justin; Ugurlu, Ozan; Verheijen, Martin; Bidiuk, Oleksii

    2018-03-01

    New materials and designs in complex 3D architectures in logic and memory devices have raised complexity in S/TEM metrology. In this paper, we report about a newly developed, automated, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) based, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (STEM-EDS) metrology method that addresses these challenges. Different methodologies toward repeatable and efficient, automated STEM-EDS metrology with high throughput are presented: we introduce the best known auto-EDS acquisition and quantification methods for robust and reliable metrology and present how electron exposure dose impacts the EDS metrology reproducibility, either due to poor signalto-noise ratio (SNR) at low dose or due to sample modifications at high dose conditions. Finally, we discuss the limitations of the STEM-EDS metrology technique and propose strategies to optimize the process both in terms of throughput and metrology reliability.

  15. Attenuated Innate Immunity in Embryonic Stem Cells and Its Implications in Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Yan-Lin; Carmichael, Gordon G; Wang, Ruoxing; Hong, Xiaoxiao; Acharya, Dhiraj; Huang, Faqing; Bai, Fengwei

    2015-11-01

    Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) represent a promising cell source for regenerative medicine. Intensive research over the past 2 decades has led to the feasibility of using ESC-differentiated cells (ESC-DCs) in regenerative medicine. However, increasing evidence indicates that ESC-DCs generated by current differentiation methods may not have equivalent cellular functions to their in vivo counterparts. Recent studies have revealed that both human and mouse ESCs as well as some types of ESC-DCs lack or have attenuated innate immune responses to a wide range of infectious agents. These findings raise important concerns for their therapeutic applications since ESC-DCs, when implanted to a wound site of a patient, where they would likely be exposed to pathogens and inflammatory cytokines. Understanding whether an attenuated immune response is beneficial or harmful to the interaction between host and grafted cells becomes an important issue for ESC-based therapy. A substantial amount of recent evidence has demonstrated that the lack of innate antiviral responses is a common feature to ESCs and other types of pluripotent cells. This has led to the hypothesis that mammals may have adapted different antiviral mechanisms at different stages of organismal development. The underdeveloped innate immunity represents a unique and uncharacterized property of ESCs that may have important implications in developmental biology, immunology, and in regenerative medicine. © 2015 AlphaMed Press.

  16. Association of ED with chronic periodontal disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsumoto, S; Matsuda, M; Takekawa, M; Okada, M; Hashizume, K; Wada, N; Hori, J; Tamaki, G; Kita, M; Iwata, T; Kakizaki, H

    2014-01-01

    To examine the relationship between chronic periodontal disease (CPD) and ED, the interview sheet including the CPD self-checklist (CPD score) and the five-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) was distributed to 300 adult men who received a comprehensive dental examination. Statistical analyses were performed by the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and other methods. Statistical significance was accepted at the level of Pdysfunction and the systematic inflammatory changes associated with CPD. The present study also suggests that dental health is important as a preventive medicine for ED.

  17. 8 Different approaches needed to manage ED demand among different age-groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimmer, Melanie; Ablard, Suzanne; O'Keeffe, Colin; Mason, Suzanne

    2017-12-01

    A variety of interventions have been proposed to manage rising demand for Emergency and Urgent Care, described by an NHS England review as unsustainable in the long term. However it is unlikely that any suggested approach will be equally suitable for the diverse population of ED users.We aimed to understand the patterns of demand amongst different types of patients attending ED. We also sought to understand the intended and unintended effects of demand management initiatives. Our study combined insights from routine data, a survey of ED patients, and qualitative interviews with ED staff. This paper describes the results of our analysis of the interviews. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 ED and Urgent Care Centre staff across 7 hospital sites in Yorkshire and Humber between 25 April and 11 July 2016. The interview topic guide asked about 4 broad areas; job role, description of patients and their impact on demand, description of inappropriate attendance, and current/future initiatives to deal with rising demand. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using framework analysis. We analysed the results to identify groups of patients with different patterns of use of ED services. We also explored ED staff experiences of demand management initiatives, and their suggestions for future initiatives. Although we did not ask specifically about patients' age, our analysis revealed that ED staff categorised attenders as children and young people, working age people, and older people. These groups had different reasons for attendance, different routes to the ED, different rate of non-urgent attendance, and different issues driving demand. Staff also described variation in the time taken to treat patients of different ages, with the oldest and youngest patients described as requiring the most time.There was no consensus amongst staff about the effectiveness of initiatives for managing demand. A strikingly wide variety of initiatives were mentioned

  18. A 5-year comparison of ED visits by homeless and nonhomeless patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tadros, Allison; Layman, Shelley M; Brewer, Marissa Pantaleone; Davis, Stephen M

    2016-05-01

    A 2005 study examined emergency department (ED) utilization by homeless patients in the United States. Within the following 5 years, unemployment increased by 5%. The objective was to analyze changes in ED utilization between 2005 and 2010 by homeless patients and compare with nonhomeless visits. Data from the 2010 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were evaluated. Approximately 679854 visits were made by homeless patients, the majority of which were made by men (72.3%) and patients between the ages of 45 and 64 (50.5%). Homeless patients were twice as likely to be uninsured. ED visits by homeless patients had increased by 44% during the 5-year period. Arrival to the ED by ambulance increased by 14% between the study years, and homeless patients were less likely to be admitted. The number of visits by homeless patients in the ED increased proportionally to an overall increase in ED visits between 2005 and 2010. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Uncovering Biological Network Function via Graphlet Degree Signatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataša Pržulj

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Motivation: Proteins are essential macromolecules of life and thus understanding their function is of great importance. The number of functionally unclassified proteins is large even for simple and well studied organisms such as baker’s yeast. Methods for determining protein function have shifted their focus from targeting specific proteins based solely on sequence homology to analyses of the entire proteome based on protein-protein interaction (PPI networks. Since proteins interact to perform a certain function, analyzing structural properties of PPI networks may provide useful clues about the biological function of individual proteins, protein complexes they participate in, and even larger subcellular machines.Results: We design a sensitive graph theoretic method for comparing local structures of node neighborhoods that demonstrates that in PPI networks, biological function of a node and its local network structure are closely related. The method summarizes a protein’s local topology in a PPI network into the vector of graphlet degrees called the signature of the protein and computes the signature similarities between all protein pairs. We group topologically similar proteins under this measure in a PPI network and show that these protein groups belong to the same protein complexes, perform the same biological functions, are localized in the same subcellular compartments, and have the same tissue expressions. Moreover, we apply our technique on a proteome-scale network data and infer biological function of yet unclassified proteins demonstrating that our method can provide valuable guidelines for future experimental research such as disease protein prediction.Availability: Data is available upon request.

  20. Developmental evolution in social insects: regulatory networks from genes to societies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linksvayer, Timothy A; Fewell, Jennifer H; Gadau, Jürgen; Laubichler, Manfred D

    2012-05-01

    The evolution and development of complex phenotypes in social insect colonies, such as queen-worker dimorphism or division of labor, can, in our opinion, only be fully understood within an expanded mechanistic framework of Developmental Evolution. Conversely, social insects offer a fertile research area in which fundamental questions of Developmental Evolution can be addressed empirically. We review the concept of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that aims to fully describe the battery of interacting genomic modules that are differentially expressed during the development of individual organisms. We discuss how distinct types of network models have been used to study different levels of biological organization in social insects, from GRNs to social networks. We propose that these hierarchical networks spanning different organizational levels from genes to societies should be integrated and incorporated into full GRN models to elucidate the evolutionary and developmental mechanisms underlying social insect phenotypes. Finally, we discuss prospects and approaches to achieve such an integration. © 2012 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

  1. I. DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY AS A CENTRAL SUBDISCIPLINE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Card, Noel A

    2017-06-01

    This first chapter introduces the main goals of the monograph and previews the remaining chapters. The goals of this monograph are to provide summaries of our current understanding of advanced developmental methodologies, provide information that can advance our understanding of human development, identify shortcomings in our understanding of developmental methodology, and serve as a flagpost for organizing developmental methodology as a subdiscipline within the broader field of developmental science. The remaining chapters in this monograph address issues in design (sampling and big data), longitudinal data analysis, and issues of replication and research accumulation. The final chapter describes the history of developmental methodology, considers how the previous chapters in this monograph fit within this subdiscipline, and offers recommendations for further advancement. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  2. Morphogenesis and pattern formation in biological systems experiments and models

    CERN Document Server

    Noji, Sumihare; Ueno, Naoto; Maini, Philip

    2003-01-01

    A central goal of current biology is to decode the mechanisms that underlie the processes of morphogenesis and pattern formation. Concerned with the analysis of those phenomena, this book covers a broad range of research fields, including developmental biology, molecular biology, plant morphogenesis, ecology, epidemiology, medicine, paleontology, evolutionary biology, mathematical biology, and computational biology. In Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation in Biological Systems: Experiments and Models, experimental and theoretical aspects of biology are integrated for the construction and investigation of models of complex processes. This collection of articles on the latest advances by leading researchers not only brings together work from a wide spectrum of disciplines, but also provides a stepping-stone to the creation of new areas of discovery.

  3. From philosophy to science (to natural philosophy): evolutionary developmental perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Love, Alan C

    2008-03-01

    This paper focuses on abstraction as a mode of reasoning that facilitates a productive relationship between philosophy and science. Using examples from evolutionary developmental biology, I argue that there are two areas where abstraction can be relevant to science: reasoning explication and problem clarification. The value of abstraction is characterized in terms of methodology (modeling or data gathering) and epistemology (explanatory evaluation or data interpretation).

  4. Quantitative complete tooth variation among east Asians and Native Americans: developmental biology as a tool for the assessment of human divergence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shields, E D

    1996-01-01

    The quantification of total tooth structure derived from X-rays of Vietnamese, Southern Chinese, Mongolians, Western Eskimos, and Peruvian pre-Inca (Huari Empire) populations was used to examine dental divergence and the morphogenetics of change. Multivariate derived distances between the samples helped identify a quasicontinuous web of ethnic groups with two binary clusters ensconced within the web. One cluster was composed of Mongolians, Western Eskimos, and pre-Inca, and the other group consisted of the Southern Chinese and Vietnamese. Mongolians entered the quasicontinuum from a divergent angle (externally influenced) from that of the Southeast Asians. The Chinese and pre-Inca formed the polar samples of the distance superstructure. The pre-Inca sample was the most isolated, its closest neighbor being the Western Eskimos. Univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that the pre-Inca, whose ancestors arrived in America perhaps approximately 30,000 years ago, was the least derived sample. Clearly, microevolutionary change occurred among the samples, but the dental phenotype was resistant to environmental developmental perturbations. An assessment of dental divergence and developmental biology suggested that the overall dental phenotype is a complex multigenic morphological character, and that the observed variation evolved through total genomic drift. The quantified dental phenotype is greater than its highly multigenic algorithm and its development homeostasis is tightly controlled, or canalized, by the deterministic organization of a complex nonlinear epigenetic milieu. The overall dental phenotype quantified here was selectively neutral and a good character to help reconstruct the sequence of human evolution, but if the outlying homeostatic threshold was or will be exceeded in antecedents and descendants, respectively, evolutionary saltation occurs.

  5. Extensive FE-SEM/EDS, HR-TEM/EDS and ToF-SIMS studies of micron- to nano-particles in anthracite fly ash

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ribeiro, Joana [Centro de Geologia, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); DaBoit, Kátia [Institute of Environmental Research and Human Development, IPADHC, Capivari de Baixo, Santa Catarina (Brazil); Flores, Deolinda [Centro de Geologia, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Departamento de Geociências, Ambiente e Ordenamento do Território, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto (Portugal); Kronbauer, Marcio A. [Laboratory of Environmental Researches and Nanotechnology Development, Centro Universitário La Salle, Victor Barreto, 2288 Centro 92010-000, Canoas, RS (Brazil); Silva, Luis F.O., E-mail: felipeqma@hotmail.com [Laboratory of Environmental Researches and Nanotechnology Development, Centro Universitário La Salle, Victor Barreto, 2288 Centro 92010-000, Canoas, RS (Brazil); Environmental Science and Nanotechnology Department, Catarinense Institute of Environmental Research and Human Development, IPADHC, Capivari de Baixo, Santa Catarina (Brazil)

    2013-05-01

    The generation of anthropogenic carbonaceous matter and mixed crystalline/amorphous mineral ultrafine/nano-particles in the 1 to 100 nm size range by worldwide coal power plants represents serious environmental problems due to their potential hazards. Coal fly ash (CFA) that resulted from anthracite combustion in a Portuguese thermal power plant was studied in this work. The physico-chemical characterization of ultrafine/nano-particles present in the CFA samples and their interaction with environment are the aim of this study. The methodologies applied for this work were field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (HR-TEM/EDS) and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Some hazardous volatile elements, C, N, S and Hg contents were also determined in the studied samples. Generally, the CFA samples comprise carbonaceous, glassy and metallic solid spheres with some containing mixed amorphous/crystalline phases. The EDS analysis coupled with the FE-SEM and HR-TEM observations of the fly ash particles with 100 to 0.1 nm demonstrates that these materials contain a small but significant proportion of encapsulated HVEs. In addition, the presence of abundant multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and amorphous carbon particles, both containing hazardous volatile elements (HVEs), was also evidenced by the FE-SEM/EDS and HR-TEM/EDS analysis. A wide range of organic and inorganic compounds was determined by chemical maps obtained in ToF-SIMS analysis. - Highlights: ► We examine changes in the level of ultrafine and nanoparticles of coal mining. ► Increasing geochemical information will increase human health information in this area. ► Electron bean and Tof-SIMS increase area information.

  6. Receptor tyrosine kinase mutations in developmental syndromes and cancer: two sides of the same coin

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonell, Laura M.; Kernohan, Kristin D.; Boycott, Kym M.; Sawyer, Sarah L.

    2015-01-01

    Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a family of ligand-binding cell surface receptors that regulate a wide range of essential cellular activities, including proliferation, differentiation, cell-cycle progression, survival and apoptosis. As such, these proteins play an important role during development and throughout life; germline mutations in genes encoding RTKs cause several developmental syndromes, while somatic alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of many aggressive cancers. This creates an interesting paradigm in which mutation timing, type and location in a gene leads to different cell signaling and biological responses, and ultimately phenotypic outcomes. In this review, we highlight the roles of RTKs in developmental disorders and cancer. The multifaceted roles of these receptors, their genetic signatures and their signaling during developmental morphogenesis and oncogenesis are discussed. Additionally, we propose that comparative analysis of RTK mutations responsible for developmental syndromes may shed light on those driving tumorigenesis. PMID:26152202

  7. Environment, Biology, and Culture: Implications for Adolescent Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zahn-Waxler, Carolyn

    1996-01-01

    Introduces this special theme issue examining the roles of socialization, biology, and culture as they affect adaptive and maladaptive developmental outcomes. Problems of adolescence addressed include antisocial behavior, depressive symptoms, substance abuse, low achievement, and eating problems. Considers factors implicated in successful…

  8. Morphometric analysis of human embryos to predict developmental competence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ziebe, Søren

    2013-01-01

    pregnancy test, no matter what we choose in the laboratory. Still, both with the increasing complexity of infertile patients treated today and the important focus on reducing multiple pregnancies, it becomes increasingly important to improve our ability to predict the developmental competence of each embryo....... This involves an improved understanding of the basic biology controlling early embryonic development and, over the years, many groups have tried to identify parameters reflecting embryonic competence....

  9. Essentialist Reasoning and Knowledge Effects on Biological Reasoning in Young Children

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herrmann, Patricia A.; French, Jason A.; DeHart, Ganie B.; Rosengren, Karl S.

    2013-01-01

    Biological kinds undergo a variety of changes during their life span, and these changes vary in degree by organism. Understanding that an organism, such as a caterpillar, maintains category identity over its life span despite dramatic changes is a key concept in biological reasoning. At present, we know little about the developmental trajectory of…

  10. Suicide Prevention in an Emergency Department Population: The ED-SAFE Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Ivan W; Camargo, Carlos A; Arias, Sarah A; Sullivan, Ashley F; Allen, Michael H; Goldstein, Amy B; Manton, Anne P; Espinola, Janice A; Jones, Richard; Hasegawa, Kohei; Boudreaux, Edwin D

    2017-06-01

    Suicide is a leading cause of deaths in the United States. Although the emergency department (ED) is an opportune setting for initiating suicide prevention efforts, ED-initiated suicide prevention interventions remain underdeveloped. To determine whether an ED-initiated intervention reduces subsequent suicidal behavior. This multicenter study of 8 EDs in the United States enrolled adults with a recent suicide attempt or ideation and was composed of 3 sequential phases: (1) a treatment as usual (TAU) phase from August 2010 to December 2011, (2) a universal screening (screening) phase from September 2011 to December 2012, and (3) a universal screening plus intervention (intervention) phase from July 2012 to November 2013. Screening consisted of universal suicide risk screening. The intervention phase consisted of universal screening plus an intervention, which included secondary suicide risk screening by the ED physician, discharge resources, and post-ED telephone calls focused on reducing suicide risk. The primary outcome was suicide attempts (nonfatal and fatal) over the 52-week follow-up period. The proportion and total number of attempts were analyzed. A total of 1376 participants were recruited, including 769 females (55.9%) with a median (interquartile range) age of 37 (26-47) years. A total of 288 participants (20.9%) made at least 1 suicide attempt, and there were 548 total suicide attempts among participants. There were no significant differences in risk reduction between the TAU and screening phases (23% vs 22%, respectively). However, compared with the TAU phase, patients in the intervention phase showed a 5% absolute reduction in suicide attempt risk (23% vs 18%), with a relative risk reduction of 20%. Participants in the intervention phase had 30% fewer total suicide attempts than participants in the TAU phase. Negative binomial regression analysis indicated that the participants in the intervention phase had significantly fewer total suicide attempts

  11. Fathers of U.S. Children Born in 2001: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) E.D. TAB. NCES 2006-002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avenilla, Frank; Rosenthal, Emily; Tice, Pete

    2006-01-01

    This E.D. TAB presents information about the biological fathers of children born in the United States in the year 2001. It is the first publication of findings using the data collected from fathers during the base year collection of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). It presents information on the demographic…

  12. Single blastomere expression profiling of Xenopus laevis embryos of 8 to 32-cells reveals developmental asymmetry

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Flachsová, Monika; Šindelka, Radek; Kubista, Mikael

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 3, č. 2278 (2013) ISSN 2045-2322 R&D Projects: GA MŠk ED1.1.00/02.0109; GA ČR GA301/09/1752 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520701 Keywords : DORSAL-VENTRAL AXIS * CORTICAL ROTATION * PROSPECTIVE AREAS Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 5.078, year: 2013

  13. The cephalic labial gland secretions of two socially parasitic bumblebees Bombus hyperboreus (Alpinobombus) and Bombus inexspectatus (Thoracobombus) question their inquiline strategy

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Brasero, N.; Martinet, B.; Lecocq, T.; Lhomme, P.; Biella, Paolo; Valterová, Irena; Urbanová, Klára; Cornalba, M.; Hines, H.; Rasmont, P.

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 25, č. 1 (2018), s. 75-86 ISSN 1672-9609 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP14-10035P Institutional support: RVO:60077344 ; RVO:61388963 Keywords : bumblebees * Bombus hyperboreus * Bombus inexspectatus Subject RIV: ED - Physiology; CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation (UOCHB-X) OBOR OECD: Developmental biology; Analytical chemistry (UOCHB-X) Impact factor: 2.026, year: 2016 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1744-7917.12408/abstract

  14. Developmental and Evolutionary Perspectives on the Origin and Diversification of Arthropod Appendages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jockusch, Elizabeth L

    2017-09-01

    Jointed, segmented appendages are a key innovation of arthropods. The subsequent diversification of these appendages, both along the body axis and across taxa, has contributed to the evolutionary success of arthropods. Both developmental and fossil data are informative for understanding how these transitions occurred. Comparative analyses help to pinpoint the developmental novelties that distinguish arthropod appendages from the lobopodous appendages of other panarthropods, and that distinguish different appendage types. The fossil record of stem group arthropods is diverse and preserves intermediate steps in these evolutionary transitions, including some that cannot be directly inferred based on extant taxa. These lead to hypotheses that can be tested with comparative developmental data, as well as to reinterpretations of developmental results. One developmental novelty of arthropods is the reiterated deployment of the joint formation network, which divides the appendages into segments. The fossil record raises questions about how this joint formation network was first deployed, given the contrasting morphologies of appendages in stem group versus extant arthropods. The fossil record supports a character tree for appendage diversification showing progressive individuation of appendages in an anterior-to-posterior sequence. However, to date, developmental evidence provides at best limited support for this character tree. Recent interpretations of the fossil record suggest that the labrum of extant arthropods is a greatly reduced protocerebral appendage pair; this hypothesis is consistent with the extensive shared developmental patterning of the labrum and jointed appendages. Reciprocal illumination from fossils and developmental patterning in a phylogenetic context both makes sense of some results and helps motivates questions for future research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative

  15. Initial mechanical ventilator settings and lung protective ventilation in the ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, Susan R; Richards, Jeremy B; Fisher, Daniel F; Sankoff, Jeffrey; Seigel, Todd A

    2016-08-01

    Mechanical ventilation with low tidal volumes has been shown to improve outcomes for patients both with and without acute respiratory distress syndrome. This study aims to characterize mechanically ventilated patients in the emergency department (ED), describe the initial ED ventilator settings, and assess for associations between lung protective ventilation strategies in the ED and outcomes. This was a multicenter, prospective, observational study of mechanical ventilation at 3 academic EDs. We defined lung protective ventilation as a tidal volume of less than or equal to 8 mL/kg of predicted body weight and compared outcomes for patients ventilated with lung protective vs non-lung protective ventilation, including inhospital mortality, ventilator days, intensive care unit length of stay, and hospital length of stay. Data from 433 patients were analyzed. Altered mental status without respiratory pathology was the most common reason for intubation, followed by trauma and respiratory failure. Two hundred sixty-one patients (60.3%) received lung protective ventilation, but most patients were ventilated with a low positive end-expiratory pressure, high fraction of inspired oxygen strategy. Patients were ventilated in the ED for a mean of 5 hours and 7 minutes but had few ventilator adjustments. Outcomes were not significantly different between patients receiving lung protective vs non-lung protective ventilation. Nearly 40% of ED patients were ventilated with non-lung protective ventilation as well as with low positive end-expiratory pressure and high fraction of inspired oxygen. Despite a mean ED ventilation time of more than 5 hours, few patients had adjustments made to their ventilators. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Developmental biology, polymorphism and ecological aspects of Stiretrus decemguttatus (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, an important predator of cassidine beetles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lucia Maria Paleari

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Developmental biology, polymorphism and ecological aspects of Stiretrus decemguttatus (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, an important predator of cassidine beetles. Stiretrus decemguttatus is an important predator of two species of cassidine beetles, Botanochara sedecimpustulata (Fabricius, 1781 and Zatrephina lineata (Fabricius, 1787 (Coleoptera, Cassidinae, on the Marajó Island, Brazil. It attacks individuals in all development stages, but preys preferentially on late-instar larvae. Its life cycle in the laboratory was 43.70 ± 1.09 days, with an egg incubation period of six days and duration from nymph and adult stages of 16.31 ± 0.11 and 22.10 ± 1.67 days, respectively. The duration of one generation (T was 12.65 days and the intrinsic population growth rate (r 0.25. These data reveal the adjustment of the life cycle of S. decemgutattus with those of the two preys, but suggest greater impact on Z. lineata. However, no preference over cassidine species was shown in the laboratory. Up to 17 different color patterns can be found in adults of S. decemguttatus, based on combinations of three basic sets of color markings. Some of them resemble the markings of chrysomelids associated with Ipomoea asarifolia (Convolvulaceae and are possibly a mimetic ring. Three color patterns were identified in nymphs, none of which was associated with any specific adult color pattern.

  17. Developmental diversity in free-living flatworms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martín-Durán José

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Flatworm embryology has attracted attention since the early beginnings of comparative evolutionary biology. Considered for a long time the most basal bilaterians, the Platyhelminthes (excluding Acoelomorpha are now robustly placed within the Spiralia. Despite having lost their relevance to explain the transition from radially to bilaterally symmetrical animals, the study of flatworm embryology is still of great importance to understand the diversification of bilaterians and of developmental mechanisms. Flatworms are acoelomate organisms generally with a simple centralized nervous system, a blind gut, and lacking a circulatory organ, a skeleton and a respiratory system other than the epidermis. Regeneration and asexual reproduction, based on a totipotent neoblast stem cell system, are broadly present among different groups of flatworms. While some more basally branching groups - such as polyclad flatworms - retain the ancestral quartet spiral cleavage pattern, most flatworms have significantly diverged from this pattern and exhibit unique strategies to specify the common adult body plan. Most free-living flatworms (i.e. Platyhelminthes excluding the parasitic Neodermata are directly developing, whereas in polyclads, also indirect developers with an intermediate free-living larval stage and subsequent metamorphosis are found. A comparative study of developmental diversity may help understanding major questions in evolutionary biology, such as the evolution of cleavage patterns, gastrulation and axial specification, the evolution of larval types, and the diversification and specialization of organ systems. In this review, we present a thorough overview of the embryonic development of the different groups of free-living (turbellarian platyhelminths, including the Catenulida, Macrostomorpha, Polycladida, Lecithoepitheliata, Proseriata, Bothrioplanida, Rhabdocoela, Fecampiida, Prolecithophora and Tricladida, and discuss their main features

  18. ED pharmacist monitoring of provider antibiotic selection aids appropriate treatment for outpatient UTI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lingenfelter, Erin; Drapkin, Zachary; Fritz, Kelly; Youngquist, Scott; Madsen, Troy; Fix, Megan

    2016-08-01

    We sought to determine whether an emergency department (ED) pharmacist could aid in the monitoring and correction of inappropriate empiric antibiotic selection for urinary tract infections in an outpatient ED population. Urine cultures with greater than 100 000 CFU/mL bacteria from the University of Utah Emergency Department over 1 year (October 2011-Sept 2012) were identified using our electronic medical record system. Per ED protocol, an ED pharmacist reviews all cultures and performs a chart review of patient symptoms, diagnosis, and discharge antibiotics to determine whether the treatment was appropriate. A retrospective review of this process was performed to identify how often inappropriate treatment was recognized and intervened on by an ED pharmacist. Of the 180 cultures included, a total of 42 (23%) of empiric discharge treatments were considered inappropriate and required intervention. In 35 (83%) of 42 patients, the ED pharmacist was able to contact the patient and make appropriate changes; the remaining 7 patients were unable to be contacted, and no change could be made in their treatment. A chart review of all urine cultures with greater than 100 000 CFU/mL performed by an ED pharmacist helped identify inappropriate treatment in 23% of patients discharged to home with the diagnosis of urinary tract infection. Of these patients who had received inappropriate treatment, an ED pharmacist was able to intervene in 83% of cases. These data highlight the role of ED pharmacists in improving patient care after discharge. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Operational and financial impact of physician screening in the ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soremekun, Olanrewaju A; Biddinger, Paul D; White, Benjamin A; Sinclair, Julia R; Chang, Yuchiao; Carignan, Sarah B; Brown, David F M

    2012-05-01

    Physician screening is one of many front-end interventions being implemented to improve emergency department (ED) efficiency. We aimed to quantify the operational and financial impact of this intervention at an urban tertiary academic center. We conducted a 2-year before-after analysis of a physician screening system at an urban tertiary academic center with 90 000 annual visits. Financial impact consisted of the ED and inpatient revenue generated from the incremental capacity and the reduction in left without being seen (LWBS) rates. The ED and inpatient margin contribution as well as capital expenditure were based on available published data. We summarized the financial impact using net present value of future cash flows performing sensitivity analysis on the assumptions. Operational outcome measures were ED length of stay and percentage of LWBS. During the first year, we estimate the contribution margin of the screening system to be $2.71 million and the incremental operational cost to be $1.86 million. Estimated capital expenditure for the system was $1 200 000. The NPV of this investment was $2.82 million, and time to break even from the initial investment was 13 months. Operationally, despite a 16.7% increase in patient volume and no decrease in boarding hours, there was a 7.4% decrease in ED length of stay and a reduction in LWBS from 3.3% to 1.8%. In addition to improving operational measures, the implementation of a physician screening program in the ED allowed for an incremental increase in patient care capacity leading to an overall positive financial impact. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Biological contributions to addictions in adolescents and adults: prevention, treatment, and policy implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potenza, Marc N

    2013-02-01

    Despite significant advances in our understanding of the biological bases of addictions, these disorders continue to represent a huge public health burden that is associated with substantial personal suffering. Efforts to target addictions require consideration of how the improved biological understanding of addictions may lead to improved prevention, treatment, and policy initiatives. In this article, we provide a narrative review of current biological models for addictions with a goal of placing existing data and theories within a translational and developmental framework targeting the advancement of prevention, treatment, and policy strategies. Data regarding individual differences, intermediary phenotypes, and main and interactive influences of genetic and environmental contributions in the setting of developmental trajectories that may be influenced by addictive drugs or behavior indicate complex underpinnings of addictions. Consideration and further elucidation of the biological etiologies of addictions hold significant potential for making important gains and reducing the public health impact of addictions. Copyright © 2013 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Efficient Reverse-Engineering of a Developmental Gene Regulatory Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cicin-Sain, Damjan; Ashyraliyev, Maksat; Jaeger, Johannes

    2012-01-01

    Understanding the complex regulatory networks underlying development and evolution of multi-cellular organisms is a major problem in biology. Computational models can be used as tools to extract the regulatory structure and dynamics of such networks from gene expression data. This approach is called reverse engineering. It has been successfully applied to many gene networks in various biological systems. However, to reconstitute the structure and non-linear dynamics of a developmental gene network in its spatial context remains a considerable challenge. Here, we address this challenge using a case study: the gap gene network involved in segment determination during early development of Drosophila melanogaster. A major problem for reverse-engineering pattern-forming networks is the significant amount of time and effort required to acquire and quantify spatial gene expression data. We have developed a simplified data processing pipeline that considerably increases the throughput of the method, but results in data of reduced accuracy compared to those previously used for gap gene network inference. We demonstrate that we can infer the correct network structure using our reduced data set, and investigate minimal data requirements for successful reverse engineering. Our results show that timing and position of expression domain boundaries are the crucial features for determining regulatory network structure from data, while it is less important to precisely measure expression levels. Based on this, we define minimal data requirements for gap gene network inference. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of reverse-engineering with much reduced experimental effort. This enables more widespread use of the method in different developmental contexts and organisms. Such systematic application of data-driven models to real-world networks has enormous potential. Only the quantitative investigation of a large number of developmental gene regulatory networks will allow us to

  2. Developmental studies of avian brain organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puelles, Luis

    2018-01-01

    Avian brain organization or brain Bauplan is identical with that of vertebrates in general. This essay visits avian studies that contained advances or discussions about brain organization, trying to explain critically what they contributed. In order to start from a specific background, the new prevailing paradigm as regards brain organization, the prosomeric model, is presented first. Next a brief historic survey is made of how ideas on this topic evolved from the start of modern neuromorphology at the end of the 19th century. Longitudinal zonal organization with or without transverse segmentation (neuromeres) was the first overall concept applied to the brain. The idea of neuromeric structure later decayed in favour of a columnar model. This emphasized functional correlations rather than causal developmental content, assimilating forebrain functions to hindbrain ones. Though it became prevalent in the post-world-war period of neuroscience, in the last decades of the 20th century advances in molecular biology allowed developmental genes to be mapped, and it became evident that gene expression patterns support the old neuromeric model rather than the columnar one. This was also corroborated by modern experimental approaches (fate-mapping and analysis of patterning).

  3. Using Telemedicine to Address Crowding in the ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guss, Benjamin; Mishkin, David; Sharma, Rahul

    2016-11-01

    Some health systems are piloting telemedicine solutions in the ED to address crowding and decrease patient wait times. One new program, implemented at the Lisa Perry Emergency Center at New York Presbyterian (NYP) Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York, involves offering low-acuity patients the option of visiting an off-site physician via telemedicine hookup. Administrators note that the approach can get patients in and out of the ED within 30 minutes, and patients have thus far been highly satisfied with the approach. However, an earlier telemedicine program piloted at the University of San Diego Health System’s (UCSD) Hillcrest Hospital in 2013 got bogged down due to administrative and insurance reimbursement hurdles, although the approach showed enough promise that there is interest in restarting the program. In the NYP program, patients are identified as appropriate candidates for the program at triage. They can opt to be seen remotely or through traditional means in the ED’s fast-track section. Administrators note that patients with complex problems requiring extensive workups are not suitable for the telemedicine approach. The most challenging aspect of implementing a successful telemedicine program in the ED is getting the workflows right, according to administrators. An earlier ED-based telemedicine program piloted at UCSD ran into difficulties because the model required the involvement of two physicians, and some insurers did not want to pay for the telemedicine visits. However, patients were receptive.

  4. Analysis of dermal fibroblasts isolated from neonatal and child cleft lip and adult skin: Developmental implications on reconstructive surgery

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Živicová, V.; Lacina, L.; Mateu, R.; Smetana, K.; Kavkova, R.; Krejci, E.D.; Grim, M.; Kvasilová, A.; Borský, J.; Strnad, Hynek; Hradilová, Miluše; Šáchová, Jana; Kolář, Michal; Dvořánková, B.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 40, č. 5 (2017), s. 1323-1334 ISSN 1107-3756 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-20293S; GA MŠk(CZ) LQ1604; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Grant - others:GA MŠk(CZ) LM2015042 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : dermal fibroblasts * myofibroblast * neonatal healing * trandforming growth factor-beta * cleft Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Cell biology Impact factor: 2.341, year: 2016

  5. A systems biology approach to predictive developmental neurotoxicity of a larvicide used in the prevention of Zika virus transmission

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Audouze, Karine; Taboureau, Olivier; Grandjean, Philippe

    2018-01-01

    The need to prevent developmental brain disorders has led to an increased interest in efficient neurotoxicity testing. When an epidemic of microcephaly occurred in Brazil, Zika virus infection was soon identified as the likely culprit. However, the pathogenesis appeared to be complex, and a larvi......The need to prevent developmental brain disorders has led to an increased interest in efficient neurotoxicity testing. When an epidemic of microcephaly occurred in Brazil, Zika virus infection was soon identified as the likely culprit. However, the pathogenesis appeared to be complex...... the potential developmental neurotoxicity, and we applied this method to examine the larvicide pyriproxyfen widely used in the prevention of Zika virus transmission. Our computational model covered a wide range of possible pathways providing mechanistic hypotheses between pyriproxyfen and neurological disorders...

  6. Mitigating Higher Ed Cyber Attacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, Gary; Ashford, Tina

    2015-01-01

    In this presentation we will discuss the many and varied cyber attacks that have recently occurred in the higher ed community. We will discuss the perpetrators, the victims, the impact and how these institutions have evolved to meet this threat. Mitigation techniques and defense strategies will be covered as will a discussion of effective security…

  7. I Failed the edTPA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuranishi, Adam; Oyler, Celia

    2017-01-01

    In this article, co-written by a teacher and a professor, the authors examine possible explanations for why Adam (first author), a New York City public school special educator, failed the edTPA, a teacher performance assessment required by all candidates for state certification. Adam completed a yearlong teaching residency where he was the special…

  8. Report from the commission about the industrial and financial project of EdF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    This report takes stock of the work carried out by the commission appointed by the French ministry of economy, finances and industry about the industrial and financial project of Electricite de France (EdF) in the framework of the liberalization of European energy markets. The report presents the conclusions of the commission about EdF's position in the new competition context, about the financial position of the group and about the foreseeable strategic options and their consequences in terms of equity fund needs. 5 appendixes present: the evolution of electricity prices, EdF and the energy policy, the electricity market and the competition in Europe, the EdF group: presentation and main adaptation stakes, the financial situation of EdF group. (J.S.)

  9. EDs find physical therapists are an underused asset for musculoskeletal injuries, patient education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-01

    Some EDs are finding that the unique skill sets offered by physical therapists (PT) can be an asset to emergency care while also improving the patient experience. Experts say PTs are particularly valuable in the management of musculoskeletal pain and injuries, but they are also being used for wound care, gait training, and balance assessment. ED administrators say consistent, daily coverage is essential to making a PT program successful; otherwise, ED clinicians will neglect to use their services. PTs need to be comfortable with proactively marketing their skills to other ED clinicians who may not be used to having access to this resource. Experts say PT services in the ED can be reimbursed at a level that is consistent with reimbursement in other inpatient and outpatient settings.

  10. A Preliminary Examination of Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) in Middle Childhood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matherne, Camden E.; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian; Altschul, Anne M.; Shank, Lisa M.; Schvey, Natasha A.; Brady, Sheila M.; Galescu, Ovidiu; Demidowich, Andrew P.; Yanovski, Susan Z.; Yanovski, Jack A.

    2015-01-01

    Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) has been proposed as a diagnostic category for children 6–12y with binge-type eating. However, characteristics of youth with LOC-ED have not been examined. We tested the hypothesis that the proposed criteria for LOC-ED would identify children with greater adiposity, more disordered eating attitudes, and greater mood disturbance than those without LOC-ED. Participants were 251 youth (10.29y ± 1.54, 53.8% female, 57.8 % White, 35.5% Black, 2.0% Asian, 4.8% Hispanic, 53.0% overweight). Youth were interviewed regarding eating attitudes and behaviors, completed questionnaires to assess general psychopathology, and underwent measurements of body fat mass. Using previously proposed criteria for LOC-ED, children were classified as LOC-ED (n = 19), LOC in the absence of the full disorder (subLOC, n = 33), and youth not reporting LOC (noLOC, n = 199). LOC-ED youth had higher BMIz (p = 0.001) and adiposity (p = 0.003) and reported greater disordered eating concerns (p eating attitudes (p = 0.02). SubLOC youth had greater disordered eating concerns (p eating cognitions and anthropometric measures compared to youth without LOC-ED. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if those with LOC-ED are at particularly increased risk for progression of disordered eating and excess weight gain. PMID:25913008

  11. A preliminary examination of Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) in middle childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matherne, Camden E; Tanofsky-Kraff, Marian; Altschul, Anne M; Shank, Lisa M; Schvey, Natasha A; Brady, Sheila M; Galescu, Ovidiu; Demidowich, Andrew P; Yanovski, Susan Z; Yanovski, Jack A

    2015-08-01

    Loss of Control Eating Disorder (LOC-ED) has been proposed as a diagnostic category for children 6-12years with binge-type eating. However, characteristics of youth with LOC-ED have not been examined. We tested the hypothesis that the proposed criteria for LOC-ED would identify children with greater adiposity, more disordered eating attitudes, and greater mood disturbance than those without LOC-ED. Participants were 251 youth (10.29years±1.54, 53.8% female, 57.8% White, 35.5% Black, 2.0% Asian, 4.8% Hispanic, 53.0% overweight). Youth were interviewed regarding eating attitudes and behaviors, completed questionnaires to assess general psychopathology, and underwent measurements of body fat mass. Using previously proposed criteria for LOC-ED, children were classified as LOC-ED (n=19), LOC in the absence of the full disorder (subLOC, n=33), and youth not reporting LOC (noLOC, n=199). LOC-ED youth had higher BMIz (p=0.001) and adiposity (p=0.003) and reported greater disordered eating concerns (pdisordered eating attitudes (p=0.02). SubLOC youth had greater disordered eating concerns (pdisordered eating cognitions and anthropometric measures compared to youth without LOC-ED. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine if those with LOC-ED are at particularly increased risk for progression of disordered eating and excess weight gain. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Modelling the growth of Populus species using Ecosystem Demography (ED) model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, D.; Lebauer, D. S.; Feng, X.; Dietze, M. C.

    2010-12-01

    Hybrid poplar plantations are an important source being evaluated for biomass production. Effective management of such plantations requires adequate growth and yield models. The Ecosystem Demography model (ED) makes predictions about the large scales of interest in above- and belowground ecosystem structure and the fluxes of carbon and water from a description of the fine-scale physiological processes. In this study, we used a workflow management tool, the Predictive Ecophysiological Carbon flux Analyzer (PECAn), to integrate literature data, field measurement and the ED model to provide predictions of ecosystem functioning. Parameters for the ED ensemble runs were sampled from the posterior distribution of ecophysiological traits of Populus species compiled from the literature using a Bayesian meta-analysis approach. Sensitivity analysis was performed to identify the parameters which contribute the most to the uncertainties of the ED model output. Model emulation techniques were used to update parameter posterior distributions using field-observed data in northern Wisconsin hybrid poplar plantations. Model results were evaluated with 5-year field-observed data in a hybrid poplar plantation at New Franklin, MO. ED was then used to predict the spatial variability of poplar yield in the coterminous United States (United States minus Alaska and Hawaii). Sensitivity analysis showed that root respiration, dark respiration, growth respiration, stomatal slope and specific leaf area contribute the most to the uncertainty, which suggests that our field measurements and data collection should focus on these parameters. The ED model successfully captured the inter-annual and spatial variability of the yield of poplar. Analyses in progress with the ED model focus on evaluating the ecosystem services of short-rotation woody plantations, such as impacts on soil carbon storage, water use, and nutrient retention.

  13. 34 CFR 110.1 - What is the purpose of ED's age discrimination regulations?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE General § 110.1 What is the purpose of ED's age discrimination regulations? The purpose of these regulations is to set out ED's rules for implementing the Age... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What is the purpose of ED's age discrimination...

  14. A Chinese translation of the EdFED-Q and assessment of equivalence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Li-Chan; Chang, Chia-Chi

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to translate the Edinburgh Feeding Evaluation in Dementia Questionnaire (EdFED-Q) from the original English into a Chinese language version and to assess the equivalence of the English and Chinese EdFED-Q versions. To use a directly translated instrument without minimal explanation of the procedures for determining the equivalence between the original and secondary language instrument is questionable. Ensuring equivalence of a translated Chinese version of the EdFED-Q for patients with dementia is an essential prerequisite for identifying culturally specific expressions of feeding difficulty under investigation. Phase 1 consisted of experts doing the initial translation into Chinese and then English back-translations of the questionnaire. Six experts determined the equality of the Chinese and English versions, and five monolingual nurses provided information for the C-EdFED-Q. In phase 2, two bilingual gerontological nurses rated 33 residents with dementia to determine equivalence across time. In phase 3, three groups of bilingual nurses used the Chinese, English, and finally both versions simultaneously to judge a model case's feeding behavior on the videotape. In phase 1, the rating on the equality of the items on the Chinese and English versions was 0.969. In phase 2, kappa coefficients for all items on the C-EdFED-Q and E-EdFED-Q ranged from 0.44 to 1.00. In determining the consistency of the scores for the C-EdFED-Q and E-EdFED-Q between the two raters across time, the intraclass correlation coefficient for the absolute agreement was found to range from 0.85 to 0.90. In phase 3, except for items 6 and 9, all items showed no significant difference among the three groups. Further studies to assess the relationship between constructs and to compare it with known and predicted relationships are recommended.

  15. Point-of-Care Ultrasonography for Evaluation of Acute Dyspnea in the ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanobetti, Maurizio; Scorpiniti, Margherita; Gigli, Chiara; Nazerian, Peiman; Vanni, Simone; Innocenti, Francesca; Stefanone, Valerio T; Savinelli, Caterina; Coppa, Alessandro; Bigiarini, Sofia; Caldi, Francesca; Tassinari, Irene; Conti, Alberto; Grifoni, Stefano; Pini, Riccardo

    2017-06-01

    Acute dyspnea is a common symptom in the ED. The standard approach to dyspnea often relies on radiologic and laboratory results, causing excessive delay before adequate therapy is started. Use of an integrated point-of-care ultrasonography (PoCUS) approach can shorten the time needed to formulate a diagnosis, while maintaining an acceptable safety profile. Consecutive adult patients presenting with dyspnea and admitted after ED evaluation were prospectively enrolled. The gold standard was the final diagnosis assessed by two expert reviewers. Two physicians independently evaluated the patient; a sonographer performed an ultrasound evaluation of the lung, heart, and inferior vena cava, while the treating physician requested traditional tests as needed. Time needed to formulate the ultrasound and the ED diagnoses was recorded and compared. Accuracy and concordance of the ultrasound and the ED diagnoses were calculated. A total of 2,683 patients were enrolled. The average time needed to formulate the ultrasound diagnosis was significantly lower than that required for ED diagnosis (24 ± 10 min vs 186 ± 72 min; P = .025). The ultrasound and the ED diagnoses showed good overall concordance (κ = 0.71). There were no statistically significant differences in the accuracy of PoCUS and the standard ED evaluation for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, pneumonia, pleural effusion, pericardial effusion, pneumothorax, and dyspnea from other causes. PoCUS was significantly more sensitive for the diagnosis of heart failure, whereas a standard ED evaluation performed better in the diagnosis of COPD/asthma and pulmonary embolism. PoCUS represents a feasible and reliable diagnostic approach to the patient with dyspnea, allowing a reduction in time to diagnosis. This protocol could help to stratify patients who should undergo a more detailed evaluation. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The Current Status of the Philosophy of Biology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takacs, Peter; Ruse, Michael

    2013-01-01

    The philosophy of biology today is one of the most exciting areas of philosophy. It looks critically across the life sciences, teasing out conceptual issues and difficulties bringing to bear the tools of philosophical analysis to achieve clarification and understanding. This essay surveys work in all of the major directions of research: evolutionary theory and the units/levels of selection; evolutionary developmental biology; reductionism; ecology; the species problem; teleology; evolutionary epistemology; evolutionary ethics; and progress. There is a comprehensive bibliography.

  17. Active Intervention Can Decrease Burnout In Ed Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Rong; Ji, Hong; Li, Jianxin; Zhang, Liyao

    2017-03-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate whether active intervention can decrease job burnout and improve performance among ED nurses. This study was carried out in the emergency departments of 3 hospitals randomly selected from 8 comprehensive high-level hospitals in Jinan, China. A total of 102 nurses were enrolled and randomly divided into control and intervention groups. For 6 months, nurses in intervention groups were treated with ordinary treatment plus comprehensive management, whereas nurses in the control group were treated with ordinary management, respectively. Questionnaires were sent and collected at baseline and at the end of the study. The Student t test was used to evaluate the effect of comprehensive management in decreasing burnout. All ED nurses showed symptoms of job burnout at different levels. Our data indicated that comprehensive management significantly decreased emotional exhaustion and depersonalization (P burnout in ED nurses and contribute to relieving work-related stress and may further protect against potential mental health problems. Copyright © 2016 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. The emission factor of volatile isoprenoids: stress, acclimation, and developmental responses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ü. Niinemets

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available The rate of constitutive isoprenoid emissions from plants is driven by plant emission capacity under specified environmental conditions (ES, the emission factor and by responsiveness of the emissions to instantaneous variations in environment. In models of isoprenoid emission, ES has been often considered as intrinsic species-specific constant invariable in time and space. Here we analyze the variations in species-specific values of ES under field conditions focusing on abiotic stresses, past environmental conditions and developmental processes. The reviewed studies highlight strong stress-driven, adaptive (previous temperature and light environment and growth CO2 concentration and developmental (leaf age variations in ES values operating at medium to long time scales. These biological factors can alter species-specific ES values by more than an order of magnitude. While the majority of models based on early concepts still ignore these important sources of variation, recent models are including some of the medium- to long-term controls. However, conceptually different strategies are being used for incorporation of these longer-term controls with important practical implications for parameterization and application of these models. This analysis emphasizes the need to include more biological realism in the isoprenoid emission models and also highlights the gaps in knowledge that require further experimental work to reduce the model uncertainties associated with biological sources of variation.

  19. The Domain of Developmental Psychopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sroufe, L. Alan; Rutter, Michael

    1984-01-01

    Describes how developmental psychopathology differs from related disciplines, including abnormal psychology, psychiatry, clinical child psychology, and developmental psychology. Points out propositions underlying a developmental perspective and discusses implications for research in developmental psychopathology. (Author/RH)

  20. [Molecular Biology on the Mechanisms of Autism Spectrum Disorder for Clinical Psychiatrists].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makinodan, Manabu

    2015-01-01

    While, in general, a certain number of clinical psychiatrists might not be familiar with molecular biology, the mechanisms of mental illnesses have been uncovered by molecular biology for decades. Among mental illnesses, even biological psychiatrists and neuroscientists have paid less attention to the biological treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia since ASD has been regarded as a developmental disorder that was seemingly untreatable. However, multifaceted methods of molecular biology have revealed the mechanisms that would lead to the medication of ASD. In this article, how molecular biology dissects the pathobiology of ASD is described in order to announce the possibilities of biological treatment for clinical psychiatrists.

  1. A marker of biological age explains individual variation in the strength of the adult stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrews, Clare; Nettle, Daniel; Larriva, Maria; Gillespie, Robert; Reichert, Sophie; Brilot, Ben O; Bedford, Thomas; Monaghan, Pat; Spencer, Karen A; Bateson, Melissa

    2017-09-01

    The acute stress response functions to prioritize behavioural and physiological processes that maximize survival in the face of immediate threat. There is variation between individuals in the strength of the adult stress response that is of interest in both evolutionary biology and medicine. Age is an established source of this variation-stress responsiveness diminishes with increasing age in a range of species-but unexplained variation remains. Since individuals of the same chronological age may differ markedly in their pace of biological ageing, we asked whether biological age-measured here via erythrocyte telomere length-predicts variation in stress responsiveness in adult animals of the same chronological age. We studied two cohorts of European starlings in which we had previously manipulated the rate of biological ageing by experimentally altering the competition experienced by chicks in the fortnight following hatching. We predicted that individuals with greater developmental telomere attrition, and hence greater biological age, would show an attenuated corticosterone (CORT) response to an acute stressor when tested as adults. In both cohorts, we found that birds with greater developmental telomere attrition had lower peak CORT levels and a more negative change in CORT levels between 15 and 30 min following stress exposure. Our results, therefore, provide strong evidence that a measure of biological age explains individual variation in stress responsiveness: birds that were biologically older were less stress responsive. Our results provide a novel explanation for the phenomenon of developmental programming of the stress response: observed changes in stress physiology as a result of exposure to early-life adversity may reflect changes in ageing.

  2. Developmental defects in zebrafish for classification of EGF pathway inhibitors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pruvot, Benoist; Curé, Yoann; Djiotsa, Joachim; Voncken, Audrey; Muller, Marc, E-mail: m.muller@ulg.ac.be

    2014-01-15

    One of the major challenges when testing drug candidates targeted at a specific pathway in whole animals is the discrimination between specific effects and unwanted, off-target effects. Here we used the zebrafish to define several developmental defects caused by impairment of Egf signaling, a major pathway of interest in tumor biology. We inactivated Egf signaling by genetically blocking Egf expression or using specific inhibitors of the Egf receptor function. We show that the combined occurrence of defects in cartilage formation, disturbance of blood flow in the trunk and a decrease of myelin basic protein expression represent good indicators for impairment of Egf signaling. Finally, we present a classification of known tyrosine kinase inhibitors according to their specificity for the Egf pathway. In conclusion, we show that developmental indicators can help to discriminate between specific effects on the target pathway from off-target effects in molecularly targeted drug screening experiments in whole animal systems. - Highlights: • We analyze the functions of Egf signaling on zebrafish development. • Genetic blocking of Egf expression causes cartilage, myelin and circulatory defects. • Chemical inhibition of Egf receptor function causes similar defects. • Developmental defects can reveal the specificity of Egf pathway inhibitors.

  3. Developmental defects in zebrafish for classification of EGF pathway inhibitors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pruvot, Benoist; Curé, Yoann; Djiotsa, Joachim; Voncken, Audrey; Muller, Marc

    2014-01-01

    One of the major challenges when testing drug candidates targeted at a specific pathway in whole animals is the discrimination between specific effects and unwanted, off-target effects. Here we used the zebrafish to define several developmental defects caused by impairment of Egf signaling, a major pathway of interest in tumor biology. We inactivated Egf signaling by genetically blocking Egf expression or using specific inhibitors of the Egf receptor function. We show that the combined occurrence of defects in cartilage formation, disturbance of blood flow in the trunk and a decrease of myelin basic protein expression represent good indicators for impairment of Egf signaling. Finally, we present a classification of known tyrosine kinase inhibitors according to their specificity for the Egf pathway. In conclusion, we show that developmental indicators can help to discriminate between specific effects on the target pathway from off-target effects in molecularly targeted drug screening experiments in whole animal systems. - Highlights: • We analyze the functions of Egf signaling on zebrafish development. • Genetic blocking of Egf expression causes cartilage, myelin and circulatory defects. • Chemical inhibition of Egf receptor function causes similar defects. • Developmental defects can reveal the specificity of Egf pathway inhibitors

  4. Regenesis how synthetic biology will reinvent nature and ourselves

    CERN Document Server

    Church, George M

    2012-01-01

    Imagine a future in which human beings have become immune to all viruses, in which bacteria can custom-produce everyday items, like a drinking cup, or generate enough electricity to end oil dependency. Building a house would entail no more work than planting a seed in the ground. These scenarios may seem far-fetched, but pioneering geneticist George Church and science writer Ed Regis show that synthetic biology is bringing us ever closer to making such visions a reality. In "Regenesis," Church and Regis explorethe possibilities--and perils--of the emerging field of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology, in which living organisms are selectively altered by modifying substantial portions of their genomes, allows for the creation of entirely new species of organisms. Until now, nature has been the exclusive arbiter of life, death, and evolution; with synthetic biology, we now have the potential to write our own biological future. Indeed, as Church and Regis show, it even enables us to revisit crucial points in th...

  5. Developmental Origins, Epigenetics, and Equity: Moving Upstream.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallack, Lawrence; Thornburg, Kent

    2016-05-01

    The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease and the related science of epigenetics redefines the meaning of what constitutes upstream approaches to significant social and public health problems. An increasingly frequent concept being expressed is "When it comes to your health, your zip code may be more important than your genetic code". Epigenetics explains how the environment-our zip code-literally gets under our skin, creates biological changes that increase our vulnerability for disease, and even children's prospects for social success, over their life course and into future generations. This science requires us to rethink where disease comes from and the best way to promote health. It identifies the most fundamental social equity issue in our society: that initial social and biological disadvantage, established even prior to birth, and linked to the social experience of prior generations, is made worse by adverse environments throughout the life course. But at the same time, it provides hope because it tells us that a concerted focus on using public policy to improve our social, physical, and economic environments can ultimately change our biology and the trajectory of health and social success into future generations.

  6. Occupational stress in the ED: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Subhashis; Qayyum, Hasan; Mason, Suzanne

    2017-07-01

    Occupational stress is a major modern health and safety challenges. While the ED is known to be a high-pressure environment, the specific organisational stressors which affect ED staff have not been established. We conducted a systematic review of literature examining the sources of organisational stress in the ED, their link to adverse health outcomes and interventions designed to address them. A narrative review of contextual factors that may contribute to occupational stress was also performed. All articles written in English, French or Spanish were eligible for conclusion. Study quality was graded using a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Twenty-five full-text articles were eligible for inclusion in our systematic review. Most were of moderate quality, with two low-quality and two high-quality studies, respectively. While high demand and low job control were commonly featured, other studies demonstrated the role of insufficient support at work, effort-reward imbalance and organisational injustice in the development of adverse health and occupational outcomes. We found only one intervention in a peer-reviewed journal evaluating a stress reduction programme in ED staff. Our review provides a guide to developing interventions that target the origins of stress in the ED. It suggests that those which reduce demand and increase workers' control over their job, improve managerial support, establish better working relationships and make workers' feel more valued for their efforts could be beneficial. We have detailed examples of successful interventions from other fields which may be applicable to this setting. 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/.

  7. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Applications: Proton NMR In Biological Objects Subjected To Magic Angle Spinning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wind, Robert A.; Hu, Jian Zhi

    2005-01-01

    Proton NMR in Biological Objects Submitted to Magic Angle Spinning, In Encyclopedia of Analytical Science, Second Edition (Paul J. Worsfold, Alan Townshend and Colin F. Poole, eds.), Elsevier, Oxford 6:333-342. Published January 1, 2005. Proposal Number 10896

  8. Effect of Maternal Diabetes on the Embryo, Fetus, and Children: Congenital Anomalies, Genetic and Epigenetic Changes and Developmental Outcomes

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Ornoy, A.; Reece, E.A.; Pavlínková, Gabriela; Kappen, C.; Miller, R.K.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 105, č. 1 (2015), s. 53-72 ISSN 1542-975X R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520701 Keywords : PGDM * GDM * congenital anomalies Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 3.120, year: 2015

  9. Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chee, Siew-Yin; Wanga, Chung-Hsing; Lina, Wei-De; Tsaia, Fuu-Jen

    2014-01-01

    Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) syndrome comprises a large, heterogeneous group of inherited disorders that are defined by primary defects in the development of 2 or more tissues derived from the embryonic ectoderm. The tissues primarily involved are the skin and its appendages (including hair follicles, eccrine glands, sebaceous glands, nails) and teeth. The clinical features include sparse hair, abnormal or missing teeth, and an inability to sweat due to lack of sweat glands. One such case report of ectodermal dysplasia is presented here.

  10. Biological half-life of bromide in the rat depends primarily on the magnitude of sodium intake

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pavelka, Stanislav; Babický, Arnošt; Vobecký, Miloslav

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 54, č. 6 (2005), s. 639-644 ISSN 0862-8408 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : biological half-life * bromide * sodium Subject RIV: ED - Physiology Impact factor: 1.806, year: 2005

  11. Developmental biology and the study of malformations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, A F

    1976-05-01

    Experimental work on abnormal conditions of incubation in the chick has been undertaken to acquire a scientific approach to malformations. More precise experiments on causing abnormalities had a common origin with experimental embryology. Progress in experimental teratology during the last 50 years is reviewed in a commentary on the 4 principles formulated by Stockard in 1921. The results of cytogenetical studies in man and in other organisms have led to the tracing of some relationships between them. Present knowledge concerning malformations of the neural tube, originating either experimentally, spontaneously, or phenotypically, has been presented and the teratological implications of some recent theories on the expression of the genotype are discussed in particular reference to problems of hormones as teratogens, the implication of carbohydrate metabolism, and teratogenesis. It is speculated that teratogenesis is possibly related to cationic balance in early development and that 1 factor retarding progress in the understanding of malformations is the tendency toward the development of teratology in an adequately close relationship with other branches of cell biology.

  12. CriticalEd

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjellberg, Caspar Mølholt; Meredith, David

    2014-01-01

    . Since the comments are not input sequentially, with regard to position, but in arbitrary order, this list must be sorted by copy/pasting the rows into place—an error-prone and time-consuming process. Scholars who produce critical editions typically use off-the-shelf music notation software......The best text method is commonly applied among music scholars engaged in producing critical editions. In this method, a comment list is compiled, consisting of variant readings and editorial emendations. This list is maintained by inserting the comments into a document as the changes are made......, consisting of a Sibelius plug-in, a cross-platform application, called CriticalEd, and a REST-based solution, which handles data storage/retrieval. A prototype has been tested at the Danish Centre for Music Publication, and the results suggest that the system could greatly improve the efficiency...

  13. Psychological and psychopathological variables associated with eating disorders (ED

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Fernández-Delgado

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to compare some psychological and psychopathological variables usually associated with different types of patients with eating disorders (ED. A total of 22 variables (psychological, psychopathological and specifically related to TCA were analyzed in three groups of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN, bulimia nervosa (BN and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS. Method: The sample consisted of 76 patients diagnosed with ED (mean age 20.13 ± 6.28 years; 69 women and 7 men. The following questionnaires were administered: Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (SES, Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R, Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI, Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ, Body Appreciation Scale (BAS, Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2 and Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI-SP. Results: Generally no significant differences between groups, except for the variables related to the BSQ and EDI-2 questionnaires, were found. The study of the correlations among the different variables specifically related to eating disorders and others, showed differences between groups. Conclusions: The present study shows few differences with respect to psychopathological symptoms among the different types of ED. Bearing in mind future studies, it would be interesting to use a bigger sample size, to include more men, and to distinguish between restricted/purging types of ED.

  14. Report of the NASA Mammalian Developmental Biology Working Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keefe, J. R.

    1985-01-01

    Development is considered to encompass all aspects of the mammalian life span from initial initial germ cell production through the complete life cycle to death of the organism. Thus, gamete production, fertilization, embryogenesis, implantation, fetogenesis, birth, peri- and postnatal maturation, and aging were all considered as stages of a development continuum relevant to problems of Space Biology. Deliberations thus far have been limited to stages of the development cycle from fertilization to early postnatal life. The deliberations are detailed.

  15. The advertisement call, breeding biology, description ofthe tadpole ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    1998-07-27

    Jul 27, 1998 ... and taxonomic status in the last century, It has been recog- nized either as a distinct species (Mertens ... in this extremely arid area. Data on breeding biology, vocalizations, and tadpole morphology of this toad ... A developmental series was preserved in 10% forma- lin (specimens not individually labeled): ...

  16. Design and validation of an ontology-driven animal-free testing strategy for developmental neurotoxicity testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hessel, Ellen V S; Staal, Yvonne C M; Piersma, Aldert H

    2018-03-13

    Developmental neurotoxicity entails one of the most complex areas in toxicology. Animal studies provide only limited information as to human relevance. A multitude of alternative models have been developed over the years, providing insights into mechanisms of action. We give an overview of fundamental processes in neural tube formation, brain development and neural specification, aiming at illustrating complexity rather than comprehensiveness. We also give a flavor of the wealth of alternative methods in this area. Given the impressive progress in mechanistic knowledge of human biology and toxicology, the time is right for a conceptual approach for designing testing strategies that cover the integral mechanistic landscape of developmental neurotoxicity. The ontology approach provides a framework for defining this landscape, upon which an integral in silico model for predicting toxicity can be built. It subsequently directs the selection of in vitro assays for rate-limiting events in the biological network, to feed parameter tuning in the model, leading to prediction of the toxicological outcome. Validation of such models requires primary attention to coverage of the biological domain, rather than classical predictive value of individual tests. Proofs of concept for such an approach are already available. The challenge is in mining modern biology, toxicology and chemical information to feed intelligent designs, which will define testing strategies for neurodevelopmental toxicity testing. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Real time analysis under EDS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneberk, D.

    1985-07-01

    This paper describes the analysis component of the Enrichment Diagnostic System (EDS) developed for the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation Program (AVLIS) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Four different types of analysis are performed on data acquired through EDS: (1) absorption spectroscopy on laser-generated spectral lines, (2) mass spectrometer analysis, (3) general purpose waveform analysis, and (4) separation performance calculations. The information produced from this data includes: measures of particle density and velocity, partial pressures of residual gases, and overall measures of isotope enrichment. The analysis component supports a variety of real-time modeling tasks, a means for broadcasting data to other nodes, and a great degree of flexibility for tailoring computations to the exact needs of the process. A particular data base structure and program flow is common to all types of analysis. Key elements of the analysis component are: (1) a fast access data base which can configure all types of analysis, (2) a selected set of analysis routines, (3) a general purpose data manipulation and graphics package for the results of real time analysis. Each of these components are described with an emphasis upon how each contributes to overall system capability. 3 figs

  18. Effect of Developmental Stimulation Program on the Developmental Measures of Toddlers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elahe Ghayebie

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: The variability in the developmental skills is reduced after the first three years of life; therefore, it is necessary to identify and manage early developmental delays. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of developmental stimulation program on the developmental measures of the toddlers. Method: The present randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 31 toddlers aged 1-3 years residing at Ali Asghar Foster Care Center within 2016-2017. Developmental interventions were carried out based on the modified guidelines of West Virginia Early Learning Standards Framework for eight weeks (three 2-hour sessions a week. The interventions included a range of age- and developmental-specific activities described in the given guidelines. Child development age was measured based on motor dimensions (i.e., gross and fine and language development (i.e., receptive and expressive before and after the intervention. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 11 using independent t-test and Chi-square test. Results: The mean ages of the participants in the control and intervention groups were 19.9±5.5 and 20±6.02, respectively (P=0.62. The mean ages of receptive language development (P=0.003, expressive language development (P

  19. Neural Conversion and Patterning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Developmental Perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zirra, Alexandra; Wiethoff, Sarah; Patani, Rickie

    2016-01-01

    Since the reprogramming of adult human terminally differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) became a reality in 2007, only eight years have passed. Yet over this relatively short period, myriad experiments have revolutionized previous stem cell dogmata. The tremendous promise of hiPSC technology for regenerative medicine has fuelled rising expectations from both the public and scientific communities alike. In order to effectively harness hiPSCs to uncover fundamental mechanisms of disease, it is imperative to first understand the developmental neurobiology underpinning their lineage restriction choices in order to predictably manipulate cell fate to desired derivatives. Significant progress in developmental biology provides an invaluable resource for rationalising directed differentiation of hiPSCs to cellular derivatives of the nervous system. In this paper we begin by reviewing core developmental concepts underlying neural induction in order to provide context for how such insights have guided reductionist in vitro models of neural conversion from hiPSCs. We then discuss early factors relevant in neural patterning, again drawing upon crucial knowledge gained from developmental neurobiological studies. We conclude by discussing open questions relating to these concepts and how their resolution might serve to strengthen the promise of pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine.

  20. Neural Conversion and Patterning of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: A Developmental Perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexandra Zirra

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Since the reprogramming of adult human terminally differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs became a reality in 2007, only eight years have passed. Yet over this relatively short period, myriad experiments have revolutionized previous stem cell dogmata. The tremendous promise of hiPSC technology for regenerative medicine has fuelled rising expectations from both the public and scientific communities alike. In order to effectively harness hiPSCs to uncover fundamental mechanisms of disease, it is imperative to first understand the developmental neurobiology underpinning their lineage restriction choices in order to predictably manipulate cell fate to desired derivatives. Significant progress in developmental biology provides an invaluable resource for rationalising directed differentiation of hiPSCs to cellular derivatives of the nervous system. In this paper we begin by reviewing core developmental concepts underlying neural induction in order to provide context for how such insights have guided reductionist in vitro models of neural conversion from hiPSCs. We then discuss early factors relevant in neural patterning, again drawing upon crucial knowledge gained from developmental neurobiological studies. We conclude by discussing open questions relating to these concepts and how their resolution might serve to strengthen the promise of pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine.

  1. Systematic Review of ED-based Intimate Partner Violence Intervention Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther K. Choo,

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Assessment reactivity may be a factor in the modest results of brief interventions for substance use in the emergency department (ED. The presence of assessment reactivity in studies of interventions for intimate partner violence (IPV has not been studied. Our objectives were to identify ED IPV intervention studies and evaluate the presence of a consistently positive effect on the control groups. Methods: We performed a systematic search of electronic databases for English=language intervention studies addressing IPV in the ED published since 1990. Study selection and assessment of methodologic quality were performed by two independent reviewers. Data extraction was performed by one reviewer and then independently checked for completeness and accuracy by a second reviewer. Results: Of 3,620 unique manuscripts identified by database search, 667 underwent abstract review and 12 underwent full-text review. Only three met full eligibility criteria; data on the control arm were available for two studies. In these two studies, IPV-related outcomes improved for both the experimental and control condition. Conclusion: The paucity of controlled trials of IPV precluded a robust evaluation for assessment reactivity. This study highlighted a critical gap in ED research on IPV.

  2. Electroencephalography findings in patients presenting to the ED for evaluation of seizures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kadambi, Pooja; Hart, Kimberly W; Adeoye, Opeolu M; Lindsell, Christopher J; Knight, William A

    2015-01-01

    Status epilepticus is a life-threatening, time-sensitive emergency. Acquiring an electroencephalogram (EEG) in the emergency department (ED) could impact therapeutic and disposition decisions for patients with suspected status epilepticus. The objective of this study is to estimate the proportion of EEGs diagnostic for seizures in patients presenting to an ED with a complaint of seizures. This retrospective chart review included adults presenting to the ED of an urban, academic, tertiary care hospital with suspected seizures or status epilepticus, who received an EEG within 24 hours of hospital admission. Data abstraction was performed by a single, trained, nonblinded abstractor. Seizures were defined as an epileptologist's diagnosis of either seizures or status epilepticus on EEG. The proportion of patients with seizures is given with confidence interval95 (CI95). Of 120 included patients, 67 (56%) had a history of epilepsy. Mean age was 52 years (SD, 16), 58% were White, and 61% were male. Within 24 hours, 3% had an EEG diagnostic for seizures. Electroencephalogram was obtained in the ED in 32 (27%) of 120 (CI95, 19%-35%), and 2 (6%) of 32 (CI95, 1%-19%) had seizures. Electroencephalogram was performed inpatient for 88 (73%) of 120 (CI95, 65%-81%), and 2 (2%) of 88 (CI95, 0.5%-7.1%) had seizures. Only 3% of ED patients with suspected seizures or status epilepticus had EEG confirmation of seizures within 24 hours. Early EEG acquisition in the ED may identify a group of patients amenable to ED observation and subsequent discharge from the hospital. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Evolution and developmental genetics of floral display-A review of progress

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Qing Ma; Wenheng Zhang; Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang

    2017-01-01

    Angiosperms evolved a great diversity of ways to display their flowers for reproductive success by variation in floral color,size,shape,scent,arrangements,and flowering time.The various innovations in floral forms and the aggregation of flowers into different kinds of inflorescences can drive new ecological adaptations,speciation,and angiosperm diversification.Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) seeks to uncover the developmental and genetic basis underlying morphological diversification.Advances in the developmental genetics of floral display have provided a foundation for insights into the genetic basis of floral and inflorescence evolution.A number of regulatory genes controlling floral and inflorescence development have been identified in model plants (e.g.,Arabidopsis thaliana,Antirrhinum majus) using forward genetics and conserved functions of many of these genes across diverse non-model species have been revealed by reverse genetics.Gene-regulatory networks that mediated the developmental progresses of floral and inflorescence development have also been established in some plant species.Meanwhile,phylogeny-based comparative analysis of morphological and genetic character has enabled the identification of key evolutionary events that lead to morphological complexity and diversification.Here we review the recent progress on evo-devo studies of floral display including floral symmetry,petal fusion,floral color,floral scent,and inflorescences.We also review the molecular genetic approaches applied to plant evo-devo studies and highlight the future directions of evo-devo.

  4. Policy implications of select student characteristics and their influence on the Florida biology end-of-course assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertolotti, Janine Cecelia

    In an attempt to improve student achievement in science in Florida, the Florida Department of Education implemented end-of-course (EOC) assessments in biology during the 2011-2012 academic school year. Although this first administration would only account for 30% of the student's overall final course grade in biology, subsequent administrations would be accompanied by increasing stakes for students, teachers, and schools. Therefore, this study sought to address gaps in empirical evidence as well as discuss how educational policy will potentially impact on teacher evaluation and professional development, student retention and graduation rates, and school accountability indicators. This study explored four variables- reading proficiency, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender- to determine their influence and relationship on biology achievement on the Biology I EOC assessment at a Title 1 school. To do so, the results of the Biology I EOC assessment administered during the Spring 2012 school year was obtained from a small, rural Title 1 high school in North Florida. Additional data regarding each student's qualification for free and reduced-price lunch, FCAT Reading developmental scale scores, FCAT Reading level, grade level, gender, and ethnicity were also collected for the causal-comparative exploratory study. Of the 178 students represented, 48% qualified for free and reduced-price lunch, 54% were female, and 55% scored at FCAT Reading level 3 or higher. Additionally, 59% were White and 37% Black. A combination of descriptive statistics and other statistical procedures such as independent samples one-tailed t-test, one-way ANOVAs, ANCOVAs, multipleregression, and a Pearson r correlation was utilized in the analysis, with a significance level set at 0.05. Results indicate that of all four variables, FCAT Reading proficiency was the sole variable, after adjusting for other variables; that had a significant impact on biology achievement. Students with higher

  5. The Rotator Cuff Organ: Integrating Developmental Biology, Tissue Engineering, and Surgical Considerations to Treat Chronic Massive Rotator Cuff Tears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rothrauff, Benjamin B; Pauyo, Thierry; Debski, Richard E; Rodosky, Mark W; Tuan, Rocky S; Musahl, Volker

    2017-08-01

    The torn rotator cuff remains a persistent orthopedic challenge, with poor outcomes disproportionately associated with chronic, massive tears. Degenerative changes in the tissues that comprise the rotator cuff organ, including muscle, tendon, and bone, contribute to the poor healing capacity of chronic tears, resulting in poor function and an increased risk for repair failure. Tissue engineering strategies to augment rotator cuff repair have been developed in an effort to improve rotator cuff healing and have focused on three principal aims: (1) immediate mechanical augmentation of the surgical repair, (2) restoration of muscle quality and contractility, and (3) regeneration of native enthesis structure. Work in these areas will be reviewed in sequence, highlighting the relevant pathophysiology, developmental biology, and biomechanics, which must be considered when designing therapeutic applications. While the independent use of these strategies has shown promise, synergistic benefits may emerge from their combined application given the interdependence of the tissues that constitute the rotator cuff organ. Furthermore, controlled mobilization of augmented rotator cuff repairs during postoperative rehabilitation may provide mechanotransductive cues capable of guiding tissue regeneration and restoration of rotator cuff function. Present challenges and future possibilities will be identified, which if realized, may provide solutions to the vexing condition of chronic massive rotator cuff tears.

  6. Mitochondrial dysfunction in alveolar and white matter developmental failure in premature infants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ten, Vadim S

    2017-02-01

    At birth, some organs in premature infants are not developed enough to meet challenges of the extra-uterine life. Although growth and maturation continues after premature birth, postnatal organ development may become sluggish or even arrested, leading to organ dysfunction. There is no clear mechanistic concept of this postnatal organ developmental failure in premature neonates. This review introduces a concept-forming hypothesis: Mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction is a fundamental mechanism of organs maturation failure in premature infants. Data collected in support of this hypothesis are relevant to two major diseases of prematurity: white matter injury and broncho-pulmonary dysplasia. In these diseases, totally different clinical manifestations are defined by the same biological process, developmental failure of the main functional units-alveoli in the lungs and axonal myelination in the brain. Although molecular pathways regulating alveolar and white matter maturation differ, proper bioenergetic support of growth and maturation remains critical biological requirement for any actively developing organ. Literature analysis suggests that successful postnatal pulmonary and white matter development highly depends on mitochondrial function which can be inhibited by sublethal postnatal stress. In premature infants, sublethal stress results mostly in organ maturation failure without excessive cellular demise.

  7. The Power and Promise of Developmental Systems Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Letitia Meynell

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available I argue that it is time for many feminists to rethink their attitudes towards evolutionary biology, not because feminists have been wrong to be deeply sceptical about many of its claims, both explicit and implicit, but because biology itself has changed. A new appreciation for the importance of development in biology has become mainstream and a new ontology, associated with developmental systems theory (DST, has been introduced over the last two decades. This turn challenges some of the features of evolutionary biology that have most troubled feminists. DST undermines the idea of biologicales sence and challenges both nature /nurture and nature/culture distinctions. Freed from these conceptual constraints, evolutionary biology no longer poses the problems that have justified feminist scepticism. Indeed, feminists have already found useful applications for DST and I argue that they should expand their use of DST to support more radical and wide-ranging political theories.Si les féministes n’ont pas eu tort d’être profondément sceptiques face aux nombreuses revendications de la biologie, leur attitude face à cette science doit être remise en question car la biologie s’est transformée au courant des dernières décennies. La «théorie des systèmes de développement» (developmental systems theory-TDS est une théorie qui s’est considérablement développée et qui a pris beaucoup d’ampleur. Cette théorie n’accepte pas le concept d’essence biologique ce qui pose un défi important à la distinction nature/culture. Une des conséquences de cet apport théorique est que le scepticisme des féministes face à la biologie de l’évolution n’est plus justifié car la biologie ne comporte plus les contraintes essentialistes qui s’avéraient contentieuses. En effet, certaines féministes ont déjà trouvé des applications utiles pour la TDS et nous avançons que les féministes doivent maintenant élargir l’utilisation de la

  8. An Adult Developmental Approach to Perceived Facial Attractiveness and Distinctiveness

    OpenAIRE

    Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Natalie C. Ebner; Joerg Luedicke; Manuel C. Voelkle; Manuel C. Voelkle; Michaela Riediger; Michaela Riediger; Tian Lin; Ulman Lindenberger; Ulman Lindenberger

    2018-01-01

    Attractiveness and distinctiveness constitute facial features with high biological and social relevance. Bringing a developmental perspective to research on social-cognitive face perception, we used a large set of faces taken from the FACES Lifespan Database to examine effects of face and perceiver characteristics on subjective evaluations of attractiveness and distinctiveness in young (20–31 years), middle-aged (44–55 years), and older (70–81 years) men and women. We report novel findings su...

  9. Multiple Intelligence and Digital Learning Awareness of Prospective B.Ed Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracious, F. L. Antony; Shyla, F. L. Jasmine Anne

    2012-01-01

    The present study Multiple Intelligence and Digital Learning Awareness of prospective B.Ed teachers was probed to find the relationship between Multiple Intelligence and Digital Learning Awareness of Prospective B.Ed Teachers. Data for the study were collected using self made Multiple Intelligence Inventory and Digital Learning Awareness Scale.…

  10. Mechanical Ventilation and ARDS in the ED: A Multicenter, Observational, Prospective, Cross-sectional Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, Brian M; Mohr, Nicholas M; Miller, Christopher N; Deitchman, Andrew R; Levine, Brian J; Castagno, Nicole; Hassebroek, Elizabeth C; Dhedhi, Adam; Scott-Wittenborn, Nicholas; Grace, Edward; Lehew, Courtney; Kollef, Marin H

    2015-08-01

    There are few data regarding mechanical ventilation and ARDS in the ED. This could be a vital arena for prevention and treatment. This study was a multicenter, observational, prospective, cohort study aimed at analyzing ventilation practices in the ED. The primary outcome was the incidence of ARDS after admission. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of ARDS. We analyzed 219 patients receiving mechanical ventilation to assess ED ventilation practices. Median tidal volume was 7.6 mL/kg predicted body weight (PBW) (interquartile range, 6.9-8.9), with a range of 4.3 to 12.2 mL/kg PBW. Lung-protective ventilation was used in 122 patients (55.7%). The incidence of ARDS after admission from the ED was 14.7%, with a mean onset of 2.3 days. Progression to ARDS was associated with higher illness severity and intubation in the prehospital environment or transferring facility. Of the 15 patients with ARDS in the ED (6.8%), lung-protective ventilation was used in seven (46.7%). Patients who progressed to ARDS experienced greater duration in organ failure and ICU length of stay and higher mortality. Lung-protective ventilation is infrequent in patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the ED, regardless of ARDS status. Progression to ARDS is common after admission, occurs early, and worsens outcome. Patient- and treatment-related factors present in the ED are associated with ARDS. Given the limited treatment options for ARDS, and the early onset after admission from the ED, measures to prevent onset and to mitigate severity should be instituted in the ED. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01628523; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

  11. Is schizophrenia developmental adaptation to environmental menaces?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goto, Yukiori; Lee, Young-A

    2011-11-01

    Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disorder, with its symptoms typically emerging during late adolescence to young adulthood. In contrast, accumulating evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a developmental disorder in which brain abnormalities may occur even before birth. This has brought the major challenge to explain such discrepancy of brain deficits occurring during prenatal period and emergence of symptoms during adulthood. A number of ideas have been proposed to explain delayed emergence of symptoms at adulthood in relation to maturational processes of various brain systems during adolescence. However, these still lack clear relationship to prenatal deficits. Thus, a key to better understand the pathology of schizophrenia is to unveil a theory or model that can explain the relationship between prenatal deficits and post-pubertal onset of symptoms. Here we propose a novel hypothesis, along with discussion of several lines of evidences supporting it, that schizophrenia may not be a disorder in a strict sense, but rather be understood as the biological state occurring as consequence of adaptation to severe environmental conditions during the prenatal periods, which explains the relationship between prenatal developmental deficits and the postnatal maturational process for onset of symptoms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Gregory Bateson's relevance to current molecular biology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruni, Luis Emilio

    2008-01-01

    in a developmental pathway. Being a central figure in the development of cybernetic theory he collaborated with a range of researchers from the life sciences who were innovating their own disciplines by introducing cybernetic concepts in their particular fields and disciplines. In the light of this, it should...... not come as a surprise today to realize how the general ideas that he was postulating for the study of communication systems in biology fit so well with the astonishing findings of current molecular biology, for example in the field of cellular signal transduction networks. I guess this is the case due...

  13. A Theoretical Approach to Understanding Population Dynamics with Seasonal Developmental Durations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lou, Yijun; Zhao, Xiao-Qiang

    2017-04-01

    There is a growing body of biological investigations to understand impacts of seasonally changing environmental conditions on population dynamics in various research fields such as single population growth and disease transmission. On the other side, understanding the population dynamics subject to seasonally changing weather conditions plays a fundamental role in predicting the trends of population patterns and disease transmission risks under the scenarios of climate change. With the host-macroparasite interaction as a motivating example, we propose a synthesized approach for investigating the population dynamics subject to seasonal environmental variations from theoretical point of view, where the model development, basic reproduction ratio formulation and computation, and rigorous mathematical analysis are involved. The resultant model with periodic delay presents a novel term related to the rate of change of the developmental duration, bringing new challenges to dynamics analysis. By investigating a periodic semiflow on a suitably chosen phase space, the global dynamics of a threshold type is established: all solutions either go to zero when basic reproduction ratio is less than one, or stabilize at a positive periodic state when the reproduction ratio is greater than one. The synthesized approach developed here is applicable to broader contexts of investigating biological systems with seasonal developmental durations.

  14. Thoughts on the cultural evolution of man. Developmental imprinting and transgenerational effect.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Csaba, György

    2007-01-01

    The biological evolution of man stopped since it has been conveyed to the objects, created by man. This paper introduces the concept of "conveyed evolution". Being part of the cultural evolution, the conveyed evolution is a continuation of the biological one. There are several similarities between the laws of biological and conveyed evolution, albeit the differences are important as well. Some laws of the conveyed evolution are described here. The conveyed evolution has man-made repair mechanisms (medicine, protection of environment) which defend man from harm. Man's fragility limits the progress of conveyed evolution. However, artificial compounds or environmental pollutants which are provoked by the conveyed evolution induce chemical (hormonal) imprinting in the developmental critical periods, which is transmitted to the progeny generations (transgenerational effect). This could cause evolutionary alterations without mutation.

  15. Towards Developmental Models of Psychiatric Disorders in Zebrafish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William Howard James Norton

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Psychiatric disorders are a diverse set of diseases that affect all aspects of mental function including social interaction, thinking, feeling and mood. Although psychiatric disorders place a large economic burden on society, the drugs available to treat them are often palliative with variable efficacy and intolerable side-effects. The development of novel drugs has been hindered by a lack of knowledge about the etiology of these diseases. It is thus necessary to further investigate psychiatric disorders using a combination of human molecular genetics, gene-by-environment studies, in vitro pharmacological and biochemistry experiments, animal models and investigation of the non-biological basis of these diseases, such as environmental effects.Many psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation and schizophrenia can be triggered by alterations to neural development. The zebrafish is a popular model for developmental biology that is increasingly used to study human disease. Recent work has extended this approach to examine psychiatric disorders as well. However, since psychiatric disorders affect complex mental functions that might be human specific, it is not possible to fully model them in fish. In this review, I will propose that the suitability of zebrafish for developmental studies, and the genetic tools available to manipulate them, provide a powerful model to study the roles of genes that are linked to psychiatric disorders during neural development. The relative speed and ease of conducting experiments in zebrafish can be used to address two areas of future research: the contribution of environmental factors to disease onset, and screening for novel therapeutic compounds.

  16. AdvancED Flex 4

    CERN Document Server

    Tiwari, Shashank; Schulze, Charlie

    2010-01-01

    AdvancED Flex 4 makes advanced Flex 4 concepts and techniques easy. Ajax, RIA, Web 2.0, mashups, mobile applications, the most sophisticated web tools, and the coolest interactive web applications are all covered with practical, visually oriented recipes. * Completely updated for the new tools in Flex 4* Demonstrates how to use Flex 4 to create robust and scalable enterprise-grade Rich Internet Applications.* Teaches you to build high-performance web applications with interactivity that really engages your users.* What you'll learn Practiced beginners and intermediate users of Flex, especially

  17. Taking action on developmental toxicity: scientists' duties to protect children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrader-Frechette, Kristin

    2012-09-10

    Although adaptation and proper biological functioning require developmental programming, pollutant interference can cause developmental toxicity or DT. This commentary assesses whether it is ethical for citizens/physicians/scientists to allow avoidable DT. Using conceptual, economic, ethical, and logical analysis, the commentary assesses what major ethical theories and objectors would say regarding the defensibility of allowing avoidable DT. The commentary argues that (1) none of the four major ethical theories (based, respectively, on virtue, natural law, utility, or equity) can consistently defend avoidable DT because it unjustifiably harms, respectively, individual human flourishing, human life, the greatest good, and equality. (2) Justice also requires leaving "as much and as good" biological resources for all, including future generations possibly harmed if epigenetic change is heritable. (3) Scientists/physicians have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they help cause it and have greater professional abilities/opportunities to help stop it. (4) Scientists/physicians likewise have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they benefit more from it, given their relatively greater education/consumption/income. The paper shows that major objections to (3)-(4) fail on logical, ethical, or scientific grounds, then closes with practical suggestions for implementing its proposals. Because allowing avoidable DT is ethically indefensible, citizens---and especially physicians/scientists---have justice-based duties to help stop DT.

  18. Transgenerational developmental programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiken, Catherine E; Ozanne, Susan E

    2014-01-01

    The concept of developmental programming suggests that the early life environment influences offspring characteristics in later life, including the propensity to develop diseases such as the metabolic syndrome. There is now growing evidence that the effects of developmental programming may also manifest in further generations without further suboptimal exposure. This review considers the evidence, primarily from rodent models, for effects persisting to subsequent generations, and evaluates the mechanisms by which developmental programming may be transmitted to further generations. In particular, we focus on the potential role of the intrauterine environment in contributing to a developmentally programmed phenotype in subsequent generations. The literature was systematically searched at http://pubmed.org and http://scholar.google.com to identify published findings regarding transgenerational (F2 and beyond) developmental programming effects in human populations and animal models. Transmission of programming effects is often viewed as a form of epigenetic inheritance, either via the maternal or paternal line. Evidence exists for both germline and somatic inheritance of epigenetic modifications which may be responsible for phenotypic changes in further generations. However, there is increasing evidence for the role of both extra-genomic components of the zygote and the interaction of the developing conceptus with the intrauterine environment in propagating programming effects. The contribution of a suboptimal reproductive tract environment or maternal adaptations to pregnancy may be critical to inheritance of programming effects via the maternal line. As the effects of age exacerbate the programmed metabolic phenotype, advancing maternal age may increase the likelihood of developmental programming effects being transmitted to further generations. We suggest that developmental programming effects could be propagated through the maternal line de novo in generations

  19. The future of research in craniofacial biology and what this will mean for oral health professional education and clinical practice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slavkin, H C

    2014-06-01

    Today, and looking to the future, scientific discoveries from cellular, developmental and molecular biology inform our understanding of cell, tissue and organ morphogenesis as exemplified in skin, bone, cartilage, dentine, enamel, muscle, nerve and many organs such as salivary glands and teeth. Present day biomedical science yields principles for the biomimetic design and fabrication of cells, tissues and organs. Bioengineering has become a strategy that can 'mimic' biological processes, and inform clinical procedures for tissue and organ replacements. The future of regenerative craniofacial biology holds enormous promise for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital birth defects, traumatic injuries, degenerative chronic diseases as well as for Mendelian single gene and complex multigene diseases and disorders. The past 50 years have heralded the completion of the human genome and the introduction of 'personalized medicine and dentistry', the utilization of stem cell therapy for an array of diseases and disorders, the 'proof of principle' to reverse select inherited diseases such as anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (ED), and the fruits from interdisciplinary research drawn from the diverse biomedical sciences. Looking to the future, we can readily anticipate as major goals to emphasize the clinician's role in identifying clinical phenotypes that can lead to differential diagnosis, and rejuvenate missing or damaged tissues by establishing processes for the utilization of gene, cell and/or protein therapies. The future is replete with remarkable opportunities to enhance clinical outcomes for congenital as well as acquired craniofacial malformations. Clinicians play a pivotal role because critical thinking and sound clinical acumen substantially improve diagnostic precision and thereby clinical health outcomes. © 2014 Australian Dental Association.

  20. Assessing developmental toxicity of caffeine and sweeteners in medaka (Oryzias latipes)

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Wenjau; Wang, Yun-Chi

    2015-01-01

    The use of artificial sweeteners (ASWs) has increased and become more widespread, and consequently ASWs have appeared in aquatic environments around the world. However, their safety to the health of humans and wildlife remains inconclusive. In this study, using medaka embryos (Oryzias latipes), we investigated developmental toxicity of aspartame (ASP) and saccharin (SAC). Since ASWs are often consumed with caffeine (CAF) and CAF with sucrose (SUC), we tested biological activities of these fou...

  1. EdD Students’ Self-Efficacy and Interest in Conducting Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monica R Kerrigan

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Today’s educational practitioners are expected to know how to gather, analyze, and report on data for accountability purposes and to use that information to improve student outcomes. However, there is little understanding of how to support practitioners’ learning of and engagement with research and few studies on the research experiences of students enrolled in Doctorate of Education (EdD programs. The success of students enrolled in Doctor of Philosophy (PhD programs in conducting research has been found to be related to students’ self-efficacy and interest, but these concepts have not been explored with EdD students who are more likely to engage in applied research in their workplace than to create a research-focused career. This study sought to understand the self-efficacy and interest that EdD students enrolled in an Educational Leadership program have in research skills and tasks in order to improve research course offerings. Our findings with EdD students are consistent with existing research on PhD students regarding research self-efficacy but we did not observe significant changes in students’ interest over time. We suggest avenues for future study in light of current accountability reporting requirements for practitioners.

  2. Analysis of microtraces in invasive traumas using SEM/EDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vermeij, E J; Zoon, P D; Chang, S B C G; Keereweer, I; Pieterman, R; Gerretsen, R R R

    2012-01-10

    Scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS) is a proven forensic tool and has been used to analyze several kinds of trace evidence. A forensic application of SEM/EDS is the examination of morphological characteristics of tool marks that tools and instruments leave on bone. The microtraces that are left behind by these tools and instruments on the bone are, however, often ignored or not noticed at all. In this paper we will describe the use of SEM/EDS for the analysis of microtraces in invasive sharp-force, blunt-force and bone-hacking traumas in bone. This research is part of a larger multi-disciplinary approach in which pathologists, forensic anthropologists, toolmark and microtrace experts work together to link observed injuries to a suspected weapon or, in case of an unknown weapon, to indicate a group of objects that could have been used as a weapon. Although there are a few difficulties one have to consider, the method itself is rather simple and straightforward to apply. A sample of dry and clean bone is placed into the SEM sample chamber and brightness and contrast are set such that bone appears grey, metal appears white and organic material appears black. The sample is then searched manually to find relevant features. Once features are found their elemental composition is measured by an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). This method is illustrated using several cases. It is shown that SEM/EDS analysis of microtraces in bone is a valuable tool to get clues about an unknown weapon and can associate a specific weapon with injuries on the basis of appearance and elemental composition. In particular the separate results from the various disciplines are complementary and may be combined to reach a conclusion with a stronger probative value. This is not only useful in the courtroom but above all in criminal investigations when one have to know for what weapon or object to look for. Copyright © 2011

  3. The many forms of a pleomorphic bacterial pathogen – The developmental network of Legionella pneumophila

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter eRobertson

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Legionella pneumophila is a natural intracellular bacterial parasite of free-living freshwater protozoa and an accidental human pathogen that causes Legionnaires’ disease. L. pneumophila differentiates, and does it in style. Recent experimental data on L. pneumophila’s differentiation point at the existence of a complex network that involves many developmental forms. We intend readers to: (i understand the biological relevance of L. pneumophila’s forms found in freshwater and their potential to transmit Legionnaires’ disease, and (ii learn that the common depiction of L. pneumophila’s differentiation as a biphasic developmental cycle that alternates between a replicative and a transmissive form is but an oversimplification of the actual process. Our specific objectives are to provide updates on the molecular factors that regulate L. pneumophila’s differentiation (section 2, and describe the developmental network of L. pneumophila (section 3, which for clarity’s sake we have dissected into five separate developmental cycles. Finally, since each developmental form seems to contribute differently to the human pathogenic process and the transmission of Legionnaires’ disease, readers are presented with a challenge to develop novel methods to detect the various L. pneumophila forms present in water (section 4, as a means to improve our assessment of risk and more effectively prevent legionellosis outbreaks.

  4. Balanced nuclear and cytoplasmic activities of EDS1 are required for a complete plant innate immune response.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana V García

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available An important layer of plant innate immunity to host-adapted pathogens is conferred by intracellular nucleotide-binding/oligomerization domain-leucine rich repeat (NB-LRR receptors recognizing specific microbial effectors. Signaling from activated receptors of the TIR (Toll/Interleukin-1 Receptor-NB-LRR class converges on the nucleo-cytoplasmic immune regulator EDS1 (Enhanced Disease Susceptibility1. In this report we show that a receptor-stimulated increase in accumulation of nuclear EDS1 precedes or coincides with the EDS1-dependent induction and repression of defense-related genes. EDS1 is capable of nuclear transport receptor-mediated shuttling between the cytoplasm and nucleus. By enhancing EDS1 export from inside nuclei (through attachment of an additional nuclear export sequence (NES or conditionally releasing EDS1 to the nucleus (by fusion to a glucocorticoid receptor (GR in transgenic Arabidopsis we establish that the EDS1 nuclear pool is essential for resistance to biotrophic and hemi-biotrophic pathogens and for transcriptional reprogramming. Evidence points to post-transcriptional processes regulating receptor-triggered accumulation of EDS1 in nuclei. Changes in nuclear EDS1 levels become equilibrated with the cytoplasmic EDS1 pool and cytoplasmic EDS1 is needed for complete resistance and restriction of host cell death at infection sites. We propose that coordinated nuclear and cytoplasmic activities of EDS1 enable the plant to mount an appropriately balanced immune response to pathogen attack.

  5. Self-Esteem and Emotional Intelligence among B.Ed Trainees of Tsunami Affected Coastal Belt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Babu M, Sameer

    2008-01-01

    Through this study the author investigates the relationship between self-esteem and emotional intelligence among B.Ed trainees of Tsunami affected coastal belt of Alappey district of Kerala, India. Stream of study, marital status and age based comparisons were made among the B.Ed trainees. 92 B.Ed trainees were the participants in the study. It…

  6. Biological Systematics in the Evo-Devo era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandro Minelli

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo suggests a distinction between modular and systemic variation. In the case of modular change, the conservation of the overall structure helps recognizing affinities, while a single, fast evolving module is likely to produce a bonanza for the taxonomist, while systemic changes produce strongly deviating morphologies that cause problems in tracing homologies. Similarly, changes affecting the whole life cycle are more challenging than those limited to one stage. Developmental modularity is a precondition for heterochrony. Analyzing a matrix of morphological data for paedomorphic taxa requires special care. It is, however, possible to extract phylogenetic signal from heterochronic patterns. The taxonomist should pay attention to the intricacies of the genotype→phenotype map. When using genetic data to infer phylogeny, a comparison of gene sequences is just a first step. To bridge the gap between genes and morphology we should consider the spatial and temporal patterns of gene expression, and their regulation. Minor genetic change can have major phenotypic effects, sometimes suggesting saltational evolution. Evo-devo is also relevant in respect to speciation: changes in developmental schedules are often implicated in the divergence between sympatric morphs, and a developmental modulation of ‘temporal phenotypes’ appears to be responsible for many cases of speciation.

  7. Toward a Neuroscience of Adult Cognitive Developmental Theory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fady Girgis

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Piaget's genetic epistemology has provided the constructivist approach upon which child developmental theories were founded, in that infants are thought to progress through distinct cognitive stages until they reach maturity in their early 20's. However, it is now well established that cognition continues to develop after early adulthood, and several “neo-Piagetian” theories have emerged in an attempt to better characterize adult cognitive development. For example, Kegan's Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT argues that the thought processes used by adults to construct their reality change over time, and reaching higher stages of cognitive development entails becoming objectively aware of emotions and beliefs that were previously in the realm of the subconscious. In recent years, neuroscience has shown a growing interest in the biological substrates and neural mechanisms encompassing adult cognitive development, because psychological and psychiatric disorders can arise from deficiencies therein. In this article, we will use Kegan's CDT as a framework to discuss adult cognitive development in relation to closely correlated existing constructs underlying social processing, such as the perception of self and others. We will review the functional imaging and electrophysiologic evidence behind two key concepts relating to these posited developmental changes. These include self-related processing, a field that distinguishes between having conscious experiences (“being a self” and being aware of oneself having conscious experiences (“being aware of being a self”; and theory of mind, which is the objective awareness of possessing mental states such as beliefs and desires (i.e., having a “mind” and the understanding that others possess mental states that can be different from one's own. We shall see that cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus, as well as the temporal lobe, are associated

  8. Toward a Neuroscience of Adult Cognitive Developmental Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girgis, Fady; Lee, Darrin J; Goodarzi, Amir; Ditterich, Jochen

    2018-01-01

    Piaget's genetic epistemology has provided the constructivist approach upon which child developmental theories were founded, in that infants are thought to progress through distinct cognitive stages until they reach maturity in their early 20's. However, it is now well established that cognition continues to develop after early adulthood, and several "neo-Piagetian" theories have emerged in an attempt to better characterize adult cognitive development. For example, Kegan's Constructive Developmental Theory (CDT) argues that the thought processes used by adults to construct their reality change over time, and reaching higher stages of cognitive development entails becoming objectively aware of emotions and beliefs that were previously in the realm of the subconscious. In recent years, neuroscience has shown a growing interest in the biological substrates and neural mechanisms encompassing adult cognitive development, because psychological and psychiatric disorders can arise from deficiencies therein. In this article, we will use Kegan's CDT as a framework to discuss adult cognitive development in relation to closely correlated existing constructs underlying social processing, such as the perception of self and others. We will review the functional imaging and electrophysiologic evidence behind two key concepts relating to these posited developmental changes. These include self-related processing, a field that distinguishes between having conscious experiences ("being a self") and being aware of oneself having conscious experiences ("being aware of being a self"); and theory of mind, which is the objective awareness of possessing mental states such as beliefs and desires (i.e., having a "mind") and the understanding that others possess mental states that can be different from one's own. We shall see that cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex and cingulate gyrus, as well as the temporal lobe, are associated with psychological tasks that

  9. Diseños de plantación y formación de árboles frutales (7ª ed.)

    OpenAIRE

    Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, Mariano; Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, Rafael

    1983-01-01

    158 Pags., 45 Figs., Tabls. ** Historia de las ediciones anteriores y posteriores: 1ª ed., 1962; 2ª ed., 1964; 3ª ed., 1966; 4ª ed., 1967; 5ª ed., 1971; 6ª ed., 1974; 8ª ed., 1991. ** Última edición, en 2004, por CSIC: Diseños de plantación y formación de árboles frutales / M. Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, R. Cambra Ruiz de Velasco.-- Madrid : Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2004.-- [149] p. ; 24 cm.-- (Biblioteca de ciencias, 16).

  10. Vývojové prostředí NetBeans

    OpenAIRE

    Pitka, Lukáš

    2007-01-01

    Tato bakalářská práce představuje základní aspekty vývojového prostředí NetBeans IDE. NetBeans IDE je prostředí pro programovací jazyk Java. Práce je napsána jako příručka pro uživatele začínající s NetBeans IDE, přičemž se předpokládá se určitá znalost programovacího jazyka Java. Hlavním přínosem práce je usnadnění a zefektivnění práce s NetBeans IDE. První kapitola práce je spíše teoretická, zabývá se obecně pojmem vývojové prostředí. V dalších částech jsou rozebírány aspekty NetBeans IDE, ...

  11. Perceptions of empowerment among ED nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVivo, Diane; Quinn Griffin, Mary T; Donahue, Moreen; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

    2013-11-01

    Nurses' perceptions of empowerment have been linked to a number of variables in the hospital workplace, including job satisfaction, autonomy, and work effectiveness. Yet there have been no previous studies of perceptions of empowerment specifically among emergency department (ED) nurses. Registered nurses (RNs) employed in the EDs of 6 hospitals in a major health care system in the eastern United States were surveyed regarding their perceptions of empowerment. Of the 240 RNs eligible to participate, there were 167 usable surveys. There was a moderate level of empowerment among the RNs who participated, consistent with the level of empowerment reported in several other studies of staff nurses and nurses in other positions. The moderate level of empowerment in this sample may be attributed to the many opportunities for RN involvement in the hospitals within this health care system. Nurse leaders can initiate programs focused on enhancing RN perceptions of empowerment. In addition, there is a need for further research among RNs with different specialty preparation. Copyright © 2013. Published by Mosby, Inc.

  12. Exotic becomes erotic: interpreting the biological correlates of sexual orientation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bem, D J

    2000-12-01

    Although biological findings currently dominate the research literature on the determinants of sexual orientation, biological theorizing has not yet spelled out a developmental path by which any of the various biological correlates so far identified might lead to a particular sexual orientation. The Exotic-Becomes-Erotic (EBE) theory of sexual orientation (Bem, 1996) attempts to do just that, by suggesting how biological variables might interact with experiential and sociocultural factors to influence an individual's sexual orientation. Evidence for the theory is reviewed, and a path analysis of data from a large sample of twins is presented which yields preliminary support for the theory's claim that correlations between genetic variables and sexual orientation are mediated by childhood gender nonconformity.

  13. Embryonic origins of hull cells in the flatworm Macrostomum lignano through cell lineage analysis : developmental and phylogenetic implications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Willems, Maxime; Egger, Bernhard; Wolff, Carsten; Mouton, Stijn; Houthoofd, Wouter; Fonderie, Pamela; Couvreur, Marjolein; Artois, Tom; Borgonie, Gaetan

    The development of macrostomid flatworms is of interest for evolutionary developmental biology research because these taxa combine characteristics of the canonical spiral cleavage pattern with significant deviations from this pattern. One such deviation is the formation of hull cells, which surround

  14. ED utilization trends in sports-related traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, Holly R; Pomerantz, Wendy J; Gittelman, Mike

    2013-10-01

    Emergency department (ED) visits for sports-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have risen. This study evaluated how the number and severity of admissions have changed as ED visits for sports-related TBIs have increased. A retrospective study of children aged 0 to 19 years at a level 1 trauma center was performed. Patients from 2002 to 2011 with a primary or secondary diagnosis of TBI were identified from the hospital's inpatient and outpatient trauma registries. Frequencies were used to characterize the population, χ(2) analysis was performed to determine differences between groups, and regression analysis looked at relationship between year and injury severity score or length of stay. Sport was responsible for injury in 3878 (15.4%) cases during the study period; 3506 (90.4%) were discharged from the hospital, and 372 (9.6%) were admitted. Seventy-three percent were male patients and 78% Caucasian; mean age was 13 ± 3.5 years. ED visits for sports-related TBIs increased 92% over the study period, yet there was no significant change (χ(2) = 9.8, df = 9, P = .37) in the percentage of children admitted. Mean injury severity score for those admitted decreased from 7.8 to 4.8 (β = -0.46; P = .006); length of stay trended downward (β = -0.05; P = .05). The percentage of children being admitted from the ED with sports-related TBI has not changed over the past 10 years. The severity of admitted sports-related TBI is decreasing. Additional research is needed to correlate these trends with other TBI mechanisms.

  15. Early Developmental Conditioning of Later Health and Disease: Physiology or Pathophysiology?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hanson, M. A.; Gluckman, P. D.

    2014-01-01

    Extensive experimental animal studies and epidemiological observations have shown that environmental influences during early development affect the risk of later pathophysiological processes associated with chronic, especially noncommunicable, disease (NCD). This field is recognized as the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD). We discuss the extent to which DOHaD represents the result of the physiological processes of developmental plasticity, which may have potential adverse consequences in terms of NCD risk later, or whether it is the manifestation of pathophysiological processes acting in early life but only becoming apparent as disease later. We argue that the evidence suggests the former, through the operation of conditioning processes induced across the normal range of developmental environments, and we summarize current knowledge of the physiological processes involved. The adaptive pathway to later risk accords with current concepts in evolutionary developmental biology, especially those concerning parental effects. Outside the normal range, effects on development can result in nonadaptive processes, and we review their underlying mechanisms and consequences. New concepts concerning the underlying epigenetic and other mechanisms involved in both disruptive and nondisruptive pathways to disease are reviewed, including the evidence for transgenerational passage of risk from both maternal and paternal lines. These concepts have wider implications for understanding the causes and possible prevention of NCDs such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, for broader social policy and for the increasing attention paid in public health to the lifecourse approach to NCD prevention. PMID:25287859

  16. Lifespan Development of Neuromodulation of Adaptive Control and Motivation as an Ontogenetic Mechanism for Developmental Niche Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Shu-Chen

    2013-01-01

    Instead of viewing organisms and individuals as passive recipients of their biological, ecological, and cultural inheritances, the developmental niche construction theory and the biocultural co-construction framework both emphasize that the individual's agency plays a key role in regulating how environmental and sociocontextual influences may…

  17. Torrefied Biomass Pellets—Comparing Grindability in Different Laboratory Mills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Hari Arti Khalsa

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available The firing and co-firing of biomass in pulverized coal fired power plants around the world is expected to increase in the coming years. Torrefaction may prove to be a suitable way of upgrading biomass for such an application. For transport and storage purposes, the torrefied biomass will tend to be in pellet form. Whilst standard methods for the assessment of the milling characteristics of coal exist, this is not the case for torrefied materials—whether in pellet form or not. The grindability of the fuel directly impacts the overall efficiency of the combustion process and as such it is an important parameter. In the present study, the grindability of different torrefied biomass pellets was tested in three different laboratory mill types; cutting mill (CM, hammer mill (HM and impact mill (IM. The specific grinding energy (SGE required for a defined mass throughput of pellets in each mill was measured and results were compared to other pellet characterization methods (e.g., durability, and hardness as well as the modified Hardgrove Index. Seven different torrefied biomass pellets including willow, pine, beech, poplar, spruce, forest residue and straw were used as feedstock. On average, the particle-size distribution width (across all feedstock was narrowest for the IM (0.41 mm, followed by the HM (0.51 mm and widest for the CM (0.62 mm. Regarding the SGE, the IM consumed on average 8.23 Wh/kg while CM and HM consumed 5.15 and 5.24 Wh/kg, respectively. From the three mills compared in this study, the IM seems better fit for being used in a standardized method that could be developed in the future, e.g., as an ISO standard.

  18. Treatment motivation of men with ED: what motivates men with ED to seek professional help and how can women support their partners?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gerster, S; Günzler, C; Roesler, C; Leiber, C; Berner, M M

    2013-01-01

    Although ED can impair sexual satisfaction as well as the quality of partnership and life, men affected often avoid seeking treatment. There is growing evidence that women have an influence on their partner's help-seeking behavior. This qualitative study examined men with ED and their female partners in order to detect motivational factors for men to seek treatment and motivational actions of the women to support their partners. Twelve couples took part in a semi-structured telephone interview, which was performed separately in men and women. Analysis was on the basis of the Grounded Theory. The identified motivational factors could be divided into extrinsic (for example, media, female partner) and intrinsic (for example, desire to clarify the cause of the ED, hope for improvement) factors. Women can support their partners in treatment-seeking through various motivational actions such as talking with each other, showing interest and dealing actively with the problem, appealing to the male self-esteem, supporting the doctor's visit, forcing the treatment, active cooperation and participation in the treatment or initiating sexual intercourse. On the basis of these findings, recommendations for women were developed to support their partners and increase the probability of help-seeking behavior.

  19. Diseños de plantación y formación de árboles frutales (8ª ed.)

    OpenAIRE

    Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, Mariano; Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, Rafael

    1991-01-01

    164 Pags., con 45 Figs. y 9 Tabls. ** Historia de las ediciones anteriores: 1ª ed., 1962; 2ª ed., 1964; 3ª ed., 1966; 4ª ed., 1967; 5ª ed., 1971 (Incorpora Sistemas de formación de apéndice); 6ª ed., 1974; 7ª ed., 1983. ** Última edición, en 2004, por CSIC: Diseños de plantación y formación de árboles frutales / M. Cambra Ruiz de Velasco, R. Cambra Ruiz de Velasco.-- Madrid : Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, 2004.-- [149] p. ; 24 cm.-- (Biblioteca de ciencia...

  20. Activins in reproductive biology and beyond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wijayarathna, R; de Kretser, D M

    2016-04-01

    Activins are members of the pleiotrophic family of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) superfamily of cytokines, initially isolated for their capacity to induce the release of FSH from pituitary extracts. Subsequent research has demonstrated that activins are involved in multiple biological functions including the control of inflammation, fibrosis, developmental biology and tumourigenesis. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the roles of activin in reproductive and developmental biology. It also discusses interesting advances in the field of modulating the bioactivity of activins as a therapeutic target, which would undoubtedly be beneficial for patients with reproductive pathology. A comprehensive literature search was carried out using PUBMED and Google Scholar databases to identify studies in the English language which have contributed to the advancement of the field of activin biology, since its initial isolation in 1987 until July 2015. 'Activin', 'testis', 'ovary', 'embryonic development' and 'therapeutic targets' were used as the keywords in combination with other search phrases relevant to the topic of activin biology. Activins, which are dimers of inhibin β subunits, act via a classical TGF-β signalling pathway. The bioactivity of activin is regulated by two endogenous inhibitors, inhibin and follistatin. Activin is a major regulator of testicular and ovarian development. In the ovary, activin A promotes oocyte maturation and regulates granulosa cell steroidogenesis. It is also essential in endometrial repair following menstruation, decidualization and maintaining pregnancy. Dysregulation of the activin-follistatin-inhibin system leads to disorders of female reproduction and pregnancy, including polycystic ovary syndrome, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, fetal growth restriction, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and pre-term birth. Moreover, a rise in serum activin A, accompanied by elevated FSH, is characteristic of female

  1. Study of nanoscale structural biology using advanced particle beam microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boseman, Adam J.

    This work investigates developmental and structural biology at the nanoscale using current advancements in particle beam microscopy. Typically the examination of micro- and nanoscale features is performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), but in order to decrease surface charging, and increase resolution, an obscuring conductive layer is applied to the sample surface. As magnification increases, this layer begins to limit the ability to identify nanoscale surface structures. A new technology, Helium Ion Microscopy (HIM), is used to examine uncoated surface structures on the cuticle of wild type and mutant fruit flies. Corneal nanostructures observed with HIM are further investigated by FIB/SEM to provide detailed three dimensional information about internal events occurring during early structural development. These techniques are also used to reconstruct a mosquito germarium in order to characterize unknown events in early oogenesis. Findings from these studies, and many more like them, will soon unravel many of the mysteries surrounding the world of developmental biology.

  2. Why did the savant syndrome not spread in the population? A psychiatric example of a developmental constraint.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ploeger, Annemie; van der Maas, Han L J; Raijmakers, Maartje E J; Galis, Frietson

    2009-03-31

    A developmental constraint is a mechanism that limits the possibility of a phenotype to evolve. There is growing evidence for the existence of developmental constraints in the biological literature. We hypothesize that a developmental constraint prevents the savant syndrome, despite its positive aspects, from spreading in the population. Here, the developmental constraint is the result of the high interactivity among body parts in an early stage in embryological development, namely early organogenesis or the phylotypic stage. The interactivity during this stage involves all components of the embryo, and as a result mutations that affect one part of the embryo also affect other parts. We hypothesize that a mutation, which gives rise to the development of the positive aspects of the savant syndrome (e.g., an impressive memory capacity), will virtually always have a deleterious effect on the development of other phenotypic traits (e.g., resulting in autism and/or impaired motor coordination). Thus, our hypothesis states that the savant syndrome cannot spread in the population because of this developmental constraint. The finding that children with savant syndrome often have autism and physical anomalies, which are known to be established during early organogenesis, supports our hypothesis.

  3. The Histochemistry and Cell Biology omnium-gatherum: the year 2015 in review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taatjes, Douglas J; Roth, Jürgen

    2016-03-01

    We provide here our annual review/synopsis of all of the articles published in Histochemistry and Cell Biology (HCB) for the preceding year. In 2015, HCB published 102 articles, representing a wide variety of topics and methodologies. For ease of access to these differing topics, we have created categories, as determined by the types of articles presented to provide a quick index representing the general areas covered. This year, these categories include: (1) advances in methodologies; (2) molecules in health and disease; (3) organelles, subcellular structures, and compartments; (4) the nucleus; (5) stem cells and tissue engineering; (6) cell cultures: properties and capabilities; (7) connective tissues and extracellular matrix; (8) developmental biology; (9) nervous system; (10) musculoskeletal system; (11) respiratory and cardiovascular system; (12) liver and gastrointestinal tract; and (13) male and female reproductive systems. Of note, the categories proceed from methods development, to molecules, intracellular compartments, stem cells and cell culture, extracellular matrix, developmental biology, and finishing with various organ systems, hopefully presenting a logical journey from methods to organismal molecules, cells, and whole tissue systems.

  4. Evolutionary developmental pathology and anthropology: A new field linking development, comparative anatomy, human evolution, morphological variations and defects, and medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Diogo, Rui; Smith, Christopher M; Ziermann, Janine M

    2015-11-01

    We introduce a new subfield of the recently created field of Evolutionary-Developmental-Anthropology (Evo-Devo-Anth): Evolutionary-Developmental-Pathology-and-Anthropology (Evo-Devo-P'Anth). This subfield combines experimental and developmental studies of nonhuman model organisms, biological anthropology, chordate comparative anatomy and evolution, and the study of normal and pathological human development. Instead of focusing on other organisms to try to better understand human development, evolution, anatomy, and pathology, it places humans as the central case study, i.e., as truly model organism themselves. We summarize the results of our recent Evo-Devo-P'Anth studies and discuss long-standing questions in each of the broader biological fields combined in this subfield, paying special attention to the links between: (1) Human anomalies and variations, nonpentadactyly, homeotic transformations, and "nearest neighbor" vs. "find and seek" muscle-skeleton associations in limb+facial muscles vs. other head muscles; (2) Developmental constraints, the notion of "phylotypic stage," internalism vs. externalism, and the "logic of monsters" vs. "lack of homeostasis" views about human birth defects; (3) Human evolution, reversions, atavisms, paedomorphosis, and peromorphosis; (4) Scala naturae, Haeckelian recapitulation, von Baer's laws, and parallelism between phylogeny and development, here formally defined as "Phylo-Devo parallelism"; and (5) Patau, Edwards, and Down syndrome (trisomies 13, 18, 21), atavisms, apoptosis, heart malformations, and medical implications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Cytoplasmic Streaming - Skylab Student Experiment ED-63

    Science.gov (United States)

    1973-01-01

    This chart describes the Skylab student experiment (ED-63), Cytoplasmic Streaming, proposed by Cheryl A. Peitz of Arapahoe High School, Littleton, Colorado. Experiment ED-63 was to observe the effect of zero-gravity on cytoplasmic streaming in the aquatic plant named Elodea, commonly called water weed or water thyme. The phenomenon of cytoplasmic streaming is not well understood, but it is recognized as the circulation mechanism of the internal materials or cytoplasm of a cell. Cytoplasm is a gelatinous substance that has the ability to change its viscosity and flow, carrying various cell materials with it. The activity can be stimulated by sunlight or heat. In March 1972, NASA and the National Science Teachers Association selected 25 experiment proposals for flight on Skylab. Science advisors from the Marshall Space Flight Center aided and assisted the students in developing the proposals for flight on Skylab.

  6. Cross-sectional analysis of fouled SWRO membranes by STEM-EDS

    KAUST Repository

    Aubry, Cyril

    2014-01-01

    The intact cross-section of two fouled reverse osmosis membranes was characterized using a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) equipped with an electron energy dispersive spectroscope (EDS). Focused ion beam (FIB) was used to prepare a thin lamella of each membrane. These lamellas were then attached to a TEM grid for further STEM/EDS analysis. The foulant in sample A was mainly inorganic in nature and predominantly composed of alumino-silicate particles. These particles were surrounded by carbon at high concentrations, indicating the presence of organic materials. Iron was diffusely present in the cake layer and this could have enhanced the fouling process. The cake layer of membrane B was mainly consisted of organic matter (C, O, and N representing 95% of the total elemental composition) and organized in thin parallel layers. Small concentrations of Si, F, Na, Mg, and Cl were detected inside the active layer and support layer of the membrane. Due to the high sensitivity of the cake layer of membrane A to the electron beam, STEM/EDS line analyses might have been performed on large areas. On the other hand, the cake layer of sample B was resistant to the electron beam and the resolution of STEM/EDS was gradually improved until obtaining a resolution of 25. nm. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  7. Using Google Flu Trends data in forecasting influenza-like-illness related ED visits in Omaha, Nebraska.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araz, Ozgur M; Bentley, Dan; Muelleman, Robert L

    2014-09-01

    Emergency department (ED) visits increase during the influenza seasons. It is essential to identify statistically significant correlates in order to develop an accurate forecasting model for ED visits. Forecasting influenza-like-illness (ILI)-related ED visits can significantly help in developing robust resource management strategies at the EDs. We first performed correlation analyses to understand temporal correlations between several predictors of ILI-related ED visits. We used the data available for Douglas County, the biggest county in Nebraska, for Omaha, the biggest city in the state, and for a major hospital in Omaha. The data set included total and positive influenza test results from the hospital (ie, Antigen rapid (Ag) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) tests); an Internet-based influenza surveillance system data, that is, Google Flu Trends, for both Nebraska and Omaha; total ED visits in Douglas County attributable to ILI; and ILI surveillance network data for Douglas County and Nebraska as the predictors and data for the hospital's ILI-related ED visits as the dependent variable. We used Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average and Holt Winters methods with3 linear regression models to forecast ILI-related ED visits at the hospital and evaluated model performances by comparing the root means square errors (RMSEs). Because of strong positive correlations with ILI-related ED visits between 2008 and 2012, we validated the use of Google Flu Trends data as a predictor in an ED influenza surveillance tool. Of the 5 forecasting models we have tested, linear regression models performed significantly better when Google Flu Trends data were included as a predictor. Regression models including Google Flu Trends data as a predictor variable have lower RMSE, and the lowest is achieved when all other variables are also included in the model in our forecasting experiments for the first 5 weeks of 2013 (with RMSE = 57.61). Google Flu Trends data

  8. Elementi ed esercizi di geometria analitica e proiettiva

    CERN Document Server

    Francia, Giovanni

    1950-01-01

    La retta : preliminario ; coordinate cartesiane nel piano, equazioni della retta, distanze ed angoli ; cambiamento delle coordinate, coordinate polari ; il cerchio ; le coniche come luoghi geometrici : l'ellisse, l'iperbole, parabola.

  9. Are triage questions sufficient to assign fall risk precautions in the ED?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Southerland, Lauren T; Slattery, Lauren; Rosenthal, Joseph A; Kegelmeyer, Deborah; Kloos, Anne

    2017-02-01

    The American College of Emergency Physicians Geriatric Emergency Department (ED) Guidelines and the Center for Disease Control recommend that older adults be assessed for risk of falls. The standard ED assessment is a verbal query of fall risk factors, which may be inadequate. We hypothesized that the addition of a functional balance test endorsed by the Center for Disease Control Stop Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries Falls Prevention Guidelines, the 4-Stage Balance Test (4SBT), would improve the detection of patients at risk for falls. Prospective pilot study of a convenience sample of ambulatory adults 65 years and older in the ED. All participants received the standard nursing triage fall risk assessment. After patients were stabilized in their ED room, the 4SBT was administered. The 58 participants had an average age of 74.1 years (range, 65-94), 40.0% were women, and 98% were community dwelling. Five (8.6%) presented to the ED for a fall-related chief complaint. The nursing triage screen identified 39.7% (n=23) as at risk for falls, whereas the 4SBT identified 43% (n=25). Combining triage questions with the 4SBT identified 60.3% (n=35) as at high risk for falls, as compared with 39.7% (n=23) with triage questions alone (Ppatients at high risk by 4SBT and missed by triage questions were inpatients unaware that they were at risk for falls (new diagnoses). Incorporating a quick functional test of balance into the ED assessment for fall risk is feasible and significantly increases the detection of older adults at risk for falls. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Trends in Hospital Admission and Surgical Procedures Following ED visits for Diverticulitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Diverticulitis is a common diagnosis in the emergency department (ED. Outpatient management of diverticulitis is safe in selected patients, yet the rates of admission and surgical procedures following ED visits for diverticulitis are unknown, as are the predictive patient characteristics. Our goal is to describe trends in admission and surgical procedures following ED visits for diverticulitis, and to determine which patient characteristics predict admission. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional descriptive analysis using data on ED visits from 2006-2011 to determine change in admission and surgical patterns over time. The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample database, a nationally representative administrative claims dataset, was used to analyze ED visits for diverticulitis. We included patients with a principal diagnosis of diverticulitis (ICD-9 codes 562.11, 562.13. We analyzed the rate of admission and surgery in all admitted patients and in low-risk patients, defined as age <50 with no comorbidities (Elixhauser. We used hierarchical multivariate logistic regression to identify patient characteristics associated with admission for diverticulitis. Results: From 2006 to 2011 ED visits for diverticulitis increased by 21.3% from 238,248 to 302,612, while the admission rate decreased from 55.7% to 48.5% (-7.2%, 95% CI [–7.78 to -6.62]; p<0.001 for trend. The admission rate among low-risk patients decreased from 35.2% in 2006 to 26.8% in 2011 (-8.4%, 95% CI [–9.6 to –7.2]; p<0.001 for trend. Admission for diverticulitis was independently associated with male gender, comorbid illnesses, higher income and commercial health insurance. The surgical rate decreased from 6.5% in 2006 to 4.7% in 2011 (-1.8%, 95% CI [–2.1 to –1.5]; p<0.001 for trend, and among low-risk patients decreased from 4.0% to 2.2% (- 1.8%, 95% CI [–4.5 to –1.7]; p<0.001 for trend. Conclusion: From 2006 to 2011 ED visits for diverticulitis increased

  11. Towards a heterarchical approach to biology and cognition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruni, Luis Emilio; Giorgi, Franco

    2015-01-01

    to the different scientific disciplines working towards a multilevel integrative perspective of biological and cognitive processes, such as systems and integrative biology and neuroscience, social and cultural neuroscience, social signal transduction and psychoneuroimmunology, for instance. We argue...... that structures and substrates are by necessity organized hierarchically, while communication processes – and their embeddedness – are rather organized heterarchically. Before getting into the implications of the heterarchical approach and its congeniality with the semiotic perspective to biology and cognition...... complementarity of bottom-up and top-down causal links. This should contribute to account for the integration, interpretation and response to complex aggregates of information at different levels of organization in a developmental context. We illustrate the dialectical nature of embedded heterarchical processes...

  12. Developmental psychopathology: a paradigm shift or just a relabeling?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rutter, Michael

    2013-11-01

    Developmental psychopathology is described as a conceptual approach that involves a set of research methods that capitalize on developmental and psychopathological variations to ask questions about mechanisms and processes. Achievements are described in relation to attachment and attachment disorders, autism, schizophrenia, childhood antecedents of adult psychopathology, testing for environmental mediation of risk effects, gene-environment interplay, intellectual and language functioning, effects of mentally ill parents on the children, stress and vulnerability to depression, ethnicity and schizophrenia, and drug response. Continuities and discontinuities over the course of development are discussed in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, antisocial behavior, eating disorders, substance abuse and dependency, pharmacological and behavioral addictions, and a range of other disorders. Research challenges are considered in relation to spectrum concepts, the adolescent development of a female preponderance for depression, the mechanisms involved in age differences in response to drugs and to lateralized brain injury, the processing of experiences, the biological embedding of experiences, individual differences in response to environmental hazards, nature-nurture integration, and brain plasticity.

  13. Genome Transfer Prevents Fragmentation and Restores Developmental Potential of Developmentally Compromised Postovulatory Aged Mouse Oocytes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitsutoshi Yamada

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Changes in oocyte quality can have great impact on the developmental potential of early embryos. Here we test whether nuclear genome transfer from a developmentally incompetent to a developmentally competent oocyte can restore developmental potential. Using in vitro oocyte aging as a model system we performed nuclear transfer in mouse oocytes at metaphase II or at the first interphase, and observed that development to the blastocyst stage and to term was as efficient as in control embryos. The increased developmental potential is explained primarily by correction of abnormal cytokinesis at anaphase of meiosis and mitosis, by a reduction in chromosome segregation errors, and by normalization of the localization of chromosome passenger complex components survivin and cyclin B1. These observations demonstrate that developmental decline is primarily due to abnormal function of cytoplasmic factors involved in cytokinesis, while the genome remains developmentally fully competent.

  14. Developmental Science: Past, Present, and Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lerner, Richard M.

    2012-01-01

    The goal of developmental science is to describe, explain, and optimize intraindividual changes in adaptive developmental regulations and, as well, interindividual differences in such relations, across life. The history of developmental science is reviewed and its current foci, which are framed by relational developmental systems models that…

  15. Efficient Round-Trip Time Optimization for Replica-Exchange Enveloping Distribution Sampling (RE-EDS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sidler, Dominik; Cristòfol-Clough, Michael; Riniker, Sereina

    2017-06-13

    Replica-exchange enveloping distribution sampling (RE-EDS) allows the efficient estimation of free-energy differences between multiple end-states from a single molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. In EDS, a reference state is sampled, which can be tuned by two types of parameters, i.e., smoothness parameters(s) and energy offsets, such that all end-states are sufficiently sampled. However, the choice of these parameters is not trivial. Replica exchange (RE) or parallel tempering is a widely applied technique to enhance sampling. By combining EDS with the RE technique, the parameter choice problem could be simplified and the challenge shifted toward an optimal distribution of the replicas in the smoothness-parameter space. The choice of a certain replica distribution can alter the sampling efficiency significantly. In this work, global round-trip time optimization (GRTO) algorithms are tested for the use in RE-EDS simulations. In addition, a local round-trip time optimization (LRTO) algorithm is proposed for systems with slowly adapting environments, where a reliable estimate for the round-trip time is challenging to obtain. The optimization algorithms were applied to RE-EDS simulations of a system of nine small-molecule inhibitors of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT). The energy offsets were determined using our recently proposed parallel energy-offset (PEOE) estimation scheme. While the multistate GRTO algorithm yielded the best replica distribution for the ligands in water, the multistate LRTO algorithm was found to be the method of choice for the ligands in complex with PNMT. With this, the 36 alchemical free-energy differences between the nine ligands were calculated successfully from a single RE-EDS simulation 10 ns in length. Thus, RE-EDS presents an efficient method for the estimation of relative binding free energies.

  16. The use of SEM/EDS method in mineralogical analysis of ordinary chondritic meteorite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Breda Mirtič

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersiveX-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS for determination of mineral phases according to their stoichiometry and assessment of mineral composition of ordinary chondritic meteorite. For the purposes of this study, H3 type ordinary chondritic meteorite Abbott was selected. SEM/EDS allows identification and characterisation of mineralphases, whose size is below the resolution of an optical microscope. Mineral phases in chondrules and interstitial matrix were located in backscattered electron (BSE mode and were assessed from atomic proportions of constituent elements, obtained by the EDS analysis. SEM/EDS analyses of mineral phases showed that Abbott meteorite is characterised by Fe-rich (Fe, Ni-alloy kamacite, Fe-sulphide troilite or pyrrhotite, chromite, Mg-rich olivine, orthopyroxene bronzite or hypersthene, clinopyroxene Al-diopside, acid plagioclase oligoclase, accessory mineral chlorapatite and secondary minerals Fe-hydroxides (goethite or lepidocrocite. Results of semi-quantitative analyses confirmed that most of analysed mineralphases conform well to stoichiometric minerals with minor deviations of oxygen from stoichiometric proportions. Comparison between mineral phases in chondrules and interstitial matrix was also performed, however it showed no significant differences in elemental composition.Differences in chemical composition between minerals in interstitial matrix and chondrules are sometimes too small to be discernedby the SEM/EDS, therefore knowledge of SEM/EDS capabilities is important for correct interpretation of chondrite formation.

  17. Transcriptome Characterization of Dendrolimus punctatus and Expression Profiles at Different Developmental Stages.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cong-Hui Yang

    Full Text Available The pine moth Dendrolimus punctatus (Walker is a common insect pest that confers serious damage to conifer forests in south of China. Extensive physiology and ecology studies on D. punctatus have been carried out, but the lack of genetic information has limited our understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind its development and resistance. Using RNA-seq approach, we characterized the transcriptome of this pine moth and investigated its developmental expression profiles during egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. A total of 107.6 million raw reads were generated that were assembled into 70,664 unigenes. More than 30% unigenes were annotated by searching for homology in protein databases. To better understand the process of metamorphosis, we pairwise compared four developmental phases and obtained 17,624 differential expression genes. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes showed positive correlation with specific physiological activities of each stage, and these results were confirmed by qRT-PCR experiments. This study provides a valuable genomic resource of D. punctatus covering all its developmental stages, and will promote future studies on biological processes at the molecular level.

  18. Infrapatellar Fat Pad Stem Cells: From Developmental Biology to Cell Therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronaldo J. F. C. do Amaral

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The ideal cell type to be used for cartilage therapy should possess a proven chondrogenic capacity, not cause donor-site morbidity, and should be readily expandable in culture without losing their phenotype. There are several cell sources being investigated to promote cartilage regeneration: mature articular chondrocytes, chondrocyte progenitors, and various stem cells. Most recently, stem cells isolated from joint tissue, such as chondrogenic stem/progenitors from cartilage itself, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, and infrapatellar fat pad (IFP have gained great attention due to their increased chondrogenic capacity over the bone marrow and subcutaneous adipose-derived stem cells. In this review, we first describe the IFP anatomy and compare and contrast it with other adipose tissues, with a particular focus on the embryological and developmental aspects of the tissue. We then discuss the recent advances in IFP stem cells for regenerative medicine. We compare their properties with other stem cell types and discuss an ontogeny relationship with other joint cells and their role on in vivo cartilage repair. We conclude with a perspective for future clinical trials using IFP stem cells.

  19. Infrapatellar Fat Pad Stem Cells: From Developmental Biology to Cell Therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    do Amaral, Ronaldo J F C; Almeida, Henrique V; Kelly, Daniel J; O'Brien, Fergal J; Kearney, Cathal J

    2017-01-01

    The ideal cell type to be used for cartilage therapy should possess a proven chondrogenic capacity, not cause donor-site morbidity, and should be readily expandable in culture without losing their phenotype. There are several cell sources being investigated to promote cartilage regeneration: mature articular chondrocytes, chondrocyte progenitors, and various stem cells. Most recently, stem cells isolated from joint tissue, such as chondrogenic stem/progenitors from cartilage itself, synovial fluid, synovial membrane, and infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) have gained great attention due to their increased chondrogenic capacity over the bone marrow and subcutaneous adipose-derived stem cells. In this review, we first describe the IFP anatomy and compare and contrast it with other adipose tissues, with a particular focus on the embryological and developmental aspects of the tissue. We then discuss the recent advances in IFP stem cells for regenerative medicine. We compare their properties with other stem cell types and discuss an ontogeny relationship with other joint cells and their role on in vivo cartilage repair. We conclude with a perspective for future clinical trials using IFP stem cells.

  20. Cumulative risk and developmental health: an argument for the importance of a family-wide science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Browne, Dillon T; Plamondon, Andre; Prime, Heather; Puente-Duran, Sofia; Wade, Mark

    2015-01-01

    A substantial body of research links social disadvantage and developmental health via a cascade running from poverty, to cumulative psychosocial risk, to disrupted family dynamics, to child biological regulatory systems and neurocognitive processing, and finally to morbidity across the lifespan. Most research in this area employs single-dyad or between-family methodology. While informative, there are limitations to this approach. Specifically, it is impossible to determine how risk alters psychosocial environments that are similar for all persons within a household, versus processes that are unique to particular children. This is important in light of literature citing the primacy of child-specific environments in driving developmental health. Methodologically speaking, there are both benefits and challenges to family-wide approaches that differentiate between- and within-family environments. This review describes literature linking cumulative risk and developmental health via family process, while articulating the importance of family-wide approaches. Areas of shortcoming and recommendations for a family-wide science are provided. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. The impact of an ED-only full-capacity protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watase, Taketo; Fu, Rongwei; Foster, Denise; Langley, Denise; Handel, Daniel A

    2012-10-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an emergency department (ED)-only full-capacity protocol and diversion, controlling for patient volumes and other potential confounding factors. This was a preintervention and postintervention cohort study using data 12 months before and 12 months after the implementation of the protocol. During the implementation period, attending physicians and charge nurses were educated with clear and simple figures on the criteria for the initiation of the new protocol. A multiple logistic regression model was used to compare ambulance diversion between the 2 periods. The proportion of days when the ED went on diversion at least once during a 24-hour period was 60.4% during the preimplementation period and 20% in the postimplementation periods (P model, the use of the new protocol was significantly associated with decreased odds of diversion rate in the postimplementation period (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% confidence interval, 0.21-0.48). Our predivert/full-capacity protocol is a simple and generalizable strategy that can be implemented within the boundaries of the ED and is significantly associated with a decreased diversion rate. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Taking action on developmental toxicity: Scientists’ duties to protect children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shrader-Frechette Kristin

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although adaptation and proper biological functioning require developmental programming, pollutant interference can cause developmental toxicity or DT. Objectives This commentary assesses whether it is ethical for citizens/physicians/scientists to allow avoidable DT. Methods Using conceptual, economic, ethical, and logical analysis, the commentary assesses what major ethical theories and objectors would say regarding the defensibility of allowing avoidable DT. Results The commentary argues that (1 none of the four major ethical theories (based, respectively, on virtue, natural law, utility, or equity can consistently defend avoidable DT because it unjustifiably harms, respectively, individual human flourishing, human life, the greatest good, and equality. (2 Justice also requires leaving “as much and as good” biological resources for all, including future generations possibly harmed if epigenetic change is heritable. (3 Scientists/physicians have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they help cause it and have greater professional abilities/opportunities to help stop it. (4 Scientists/physicians likewise have greater justice-based duties, than ordinary/average citizens, to help stop DT because they benefit more from it, given their relatively greater education/consumption/income. The paper shows that major objections to (3-(4 fail on logical, ethical, or scientific grounds, then closes with practical suggestions for implementing its proposals. Conclusions Because allowing avoidable DT is ethically indefensible, citizens---and especially physicians/scientists---have justice-based duties to help stop DT.

  3. Predicting the distribution of spiral waves from cell properties in a developmental-path model of Dictyostelium pattern formation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Geberth

    2009-07-01

    Full Text Available The slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum is one of the model systems of biological pattern formation. One of the most successful answers to the challenge of establishing a spiral wave pattern in a colony of homogeneously distributed D. discoideum cells has been the suggestion of a developmental path the cells follow (Lauzeral and coworkers. This is a well-defined change in properties each cell undergoes on a longer time scale than the typical dynamics of the cell. Here we show that this concept leads to an inhomogeneous and systematic spatial distribution of spiral waves, which can be predicted from the distribution of cells on the developmental path. We propose specific experiments for checking whether such systematics are also found in data and thus, indirectly, provide evidence of a developmental path.

  4. A critical analysis of the new biology and the biological revolution: their impact - from medicine to evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dev, Sukhendu B

    2010-01-01

    In this article, I critically analyze the impact of the new biology and the biological revolution. I argue that indiscriminate use of the words such as 'interdisciplinary,' 'integrative,' and 'revolution' has caused only confusion when applied to biology. The recent debate, especially after the exploding field of systems biology, has brought back the controversy whether molecular biology is reductionist or holistic. I look at the issues involved critically. I discuss the problem of defining the word 'gene' and argue that recent attempts to redefine the central dogma of molecular biology about the information flow from DNA to RNA to protein are not justified. I support my view with comments from the scientist who discovered RNA splicing. Several aspects of evo-devo, a new branch of biology, are discussed. I give examples from this evolution-developmental biology to show how some of Darwin's inspired guesses have had resounding victory when it was found that specific genes during embryonic development of the Galapagos finches decided the size and shape of their beaks. I discuss the recent publications which show that the conditions in the island, such as wet to dry to wet season, can bring about evolutionary changes from year to year. Thus it is essential to monitor both short and long-term evolutionary changes to get the full picture of evolution.

  5. An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Peter C. M.

    2015-01-01

    The main theme of this paper concerns the persistent critique of Gilbert Gottlieb on developmental behavior genetics and my reactions to this critique, the latter changing from rejection to complete acceptation. Concise characterizations of developmental behavior genetics, developmental systems theory (to which Gottlieb made essential…

  6. Effect Of A “No Superuser Opioid Prescription” Policy On ED Visits And Statewide Opioid Prescription

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zachary P. Kahler

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The U.S. opioid epidemic has highlighted the need to identify patients at risk of opioid abuse and overdose. We initiated a novel emergency department- (ED based interventional protocol to transition our superuser patients from the ED to an outpatient chronic pain program. The objective was to evaluate the protocol’s effect on superusers’ annual ED visits. Secondary outcomes included a quantitative evaluation of statewide opioid prescriptions for these patients, unique prescribers of controlled substances, and ancillary testing. Methods: Patients were referred to the program with the following inclusion criteria: ≥ 6 visits per year to the ED; at least one visit identified by the attending physician as primarily driven by opioid-seeking behavior; and a review by a committee comprising ED administration and case management. Patients were referred to a pain management clinic and informed that they would no longer receive opioid prescriptions from visits to the ED for chronic pain complaints. Electronic medical record (EMR alerts notified ED providers of the patient’s referral at subsequent visits. We analyzed one year of data pre- and post-referral. Results: A total of 243 patients had one year of data post-referral for analysis. Median annual ED visits decreased from 14 to 4 (58% decrease, 95% CI [50 to 66]. We also found statistically significant decreases for these patients’ state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP opioid prescriptions (21 to 13, total unique controlled-substance prescribers (11 to 7, computed tomography imaging (2 to 0, radiographs (5 to 1, electrocardiograms (12 to 4, and labs run (47 to 13. Conclusion: This program and the EMR-based alerts were successful at decreasing local ED visits, annual opioid prescriptions, and hospital resource allocation for this population of patients. There is no evidence that these patients diverted their visits to neighboring EDs after being informed that they

  7. The University Supervisor, edTPA, and the New Making of the Teacher

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donovan, Martha K.; Cannon, Susan O.

    2018-01-01

    As university supervisors at a large, urban university in the southern US, we examined the ways that the Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) shaped the pedagogic relationships and decision-making processes of our students and ourselves during the spring of 2016. We situated this study of edTPA within the framework of critical policy…

  8. Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project Allies with Developmental Biology: A Case Study of the Role of Y Chromosome Genes in Organ Development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyfour, Anna; Pooyan, Paria; Pahlavan, Sara; Rezaei-Tavirani, Mostafa; Gourabi, Hamid; Baharvand, Hossein; Salekdeh, Ghasem Hosseini

    2017-12-01

    One of the main goals of Chromosome-Centric Human Proteome Project is to identify protein evidence for missing proteins (MPs). Here, we present a case study of the role of Y chromosome genes in organ development and how to overcome the challenges facing MPs identification by employing human pluripotent stem cell differentiation into cells of different organs yielding unprecedented biological insight into adult silenced proteins. Y chromosome is a male-specific sex chromosome which escapes meiotic recombination. From an evolutionary perspective, Y chromosome has preserved 3% of ancestral genes compared to 98% preservation of the X chromosome based on Ohno's law. Male specific region of Y chromosome (MSY) contains genes that contribute to central dogma and govern the expression of various targets throughout the genome. One of the most well-known functions of MSY genes is to decide the male-specific characteristics including sex, testis formation, and spermatogenesis, which are majorly formed by ampliconic gene families. Beyond its role in sex-specific gonad development, MSY genes in coexpression with their X counterparts, as single copy and broadly expressed genes, inhibit haplolethality and play a key role in embryogenesis. The role of X-Y related gene mutations in the development of hereditary syndromes suggests an essential contribution of sex chromosome genes to development. MSY genes, solely and independent of their X counterparts and/or in association with sex hormones, have a considerable impact on organ development. In this Review, we present major recent findings on the contribution of MSY genes to gonad formation, spermatogenesis, and the brain, heart, and kidney development and discuss how Y chromosome proteome project may exploit developmental biology to find missing proteins.

  9. Solitude or co-existence – or learning-together-apart with digital dialogic technologies for kids with developmental and attention difficulties (accepted for publication in EAI-Journal, Special Issue - eds. Eva Brooks)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard; Voldborg, Hanne

    2017-01-01

    This study reports on research into the impact of digital technological interventions for including kids with attention and developmental deficits into school class contexts. It describes, how the authors have approached the challenge of researching inclusion of kids with attention...... interventions with digital technologies, e.g. Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), may promote inclusion through stimulating the participation in life and learning of kids with attention and developmental deficits....

  10. Strategies for Elevating the Public and Professional Regard of the Ed.D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guthrie, James W.; Marsh, David D.

    2009-01-01

    A nationwide strategy for improving Ed.D. programs is needed to overcome two important dilemmas that are typical in schools of education: low academic status for Ed.D. programs and an overreliance on tuition as a source of revenue. Other major hindrances are the lack of agreement about research-based standards, a weak alignment with other elements…

  11. Evolutionary developmental perspective for the origin of turtles: the folding theory for the shell based on the developmental nature of the carapacial ridge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuratani, Shigeru; Kuraku, Shigehiro; Nagashima, Hiroshi

    2011-01-01

    The body plan of the turtle represents an example of evolutionary novelty for acquisition of the shell. Unlike similar armors in other vertebrate groups, the turtle shell involves the developmental repatterning of the axial skeleton and exhibits an unusual topography of musculoskeletal elements. Thus, the turtle provides an ideal case study for understanding changes in the developmental program associated with the morphological evolution of vertebrates. In this article, the evolution of the turtle-specific body plan is reviewed and discussed. The key to understanding shell patterning lies in the modification of the ribs, for which the carapacial ridge (CR), a turtle-specific embryonic anlage, is assumed to be responsible. The growth of the ribs is arrested in the axial part of the body, allowing dorsal and lateral oriented growth to encapsulate the scapula. Although the CR does not appear to induce this axial arrest per se, it has been shown to support the fan-shaped patterning of the ribs, which occurs concomitant with marginal growth of the carapace along the line of the turtle-specific folding that takes place in the lateral body wall. During the process of the folding, some trunk muscles maintain their ancestral connectivities, whereas the limb muscles establish new attachments specific to the turtle. The turtle body plan can thus be explained with our knowledge of vertebrate anatomy and developmental biology, consistent with the evolutionary origin of the turtle suggested by the recently discovered fossil species, Odontochelys. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. Qualitative methodology in developmental psychology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Demuth, Carolin; Mey, Günter

    2015-01-01

    Qualitative methodology presently is gaining increasing recognition in developmental psychology. Although the founders of developmental psychology to a large extent already used qualitative procedures, the field was long dominated by a (post) positivistic quantitative paradigm. The increasing rec...... in qualitative research offers a promising avenue to advance the field in this direction.......Qualitative methodology presently is gaining increasing recognition in developmental psychology. Although the founders of developmental psychology to a large extent already used qualitative procedures, the field was long dominated by a (post) positivistic quantitative paradigm. The increasing...

  13. Attentional networks in developmental dyscalculia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henik Avishai

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Very little is known about attention deficits in developmental dyscalculia, hence, this study was designed to provide the missing information. We examined attention abilities of participants suffering from developmental dyscalculia using the attention networks test - interactions. This test was designed to examine three different attention networks--executive function, orienting and alerting--and the interactions between them. Methods Fourteen university students that were diagnosed as suffering from developmental dyscalculia--intelligence and reading abilities in the normal range and no indication of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--and 14 matched controls were tested using the attention networks test - interactions. All participants were given preliminary tests to measure mathematical abilities, reading, attention and intelligence. Results The results revealed deficits in the alerting network--a larger alerting effect--and in the executive function networks--a larger congruity effect in developmental dyscalculia participants. The interaction between the alerting and executive function networks was also modulated by group. In addition, developmental dyscalculia participants were slower to respond in the non-cued conditions. Conclusions These results imply specific attentional deficits in pure developmental dyscalculia. Namely, those with developmental dyscalculia seem to be deficient in the executive function and alertness networks. They suffer from difficulty in recruiting attention, in addition to the deficits in numerical processing.

  14. Attentional networks in developmental dyscalculia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Askenazi, Sarit; Henik, Avishai

    2010-01-07

    Very little is known about attention deficits in developmental dyscalculia, hence, this study was designed to provide the missing information. We examined attention abilities of participants suffering from developmental dyscalculia using the attention networks test - interactions. This test was designed to examine three different attention networks--executive function, orienting and alerting--and the interactions between them. Fourteen university students that were diagnosed as suffering from developmental dyscalculia--intelligence and reading abilities in the normal range and no indication of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder--and 14 matched controls were tested using the attention networks test-interactions. All participants were given preliminary tests to measure mathematical abilities, reading, attention and intelligence. The results revealed deficits in the alerting network--a larger alerting effect--and in the executive function networks--a larger congruity effect in developmental dyscalculia participants. The interaction between the alerting and executive function networks was also modulated by group. In addition, developmental dyscalculia participants were slower to respond in the non-cued conditions. These results imply specific attentional deficits in pure developmental dyscalculia. Namely, those with developmental dyscalculia seem to be deficient in the executive function and alertness networks. They suffer from difficulty in recruiting attention, in addition to the deficits in numerical processing.

  15. Designing a Peer-Mentoring Program for Education Doctorate (EdD) Students

    OpenAIRE

    Kendra Lowery; Rachel Geesa; Kat McConnell

    2018-01-01

    Objectives: In preparation for creating a peer-mentoring program for education doctorate (EdD) students, we conducted a literature review to learn about the characteristics of peer-mentoring programs for graduate students and EdD students specifically. Method: Our search criteria included articles about peer mentoring for graduate students only; published in peer-reviewed journals since the year 2000; and about programs that involved more experienced students, students farther along in t...

  16. Developmental Scaffolding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Giorgi, Franco; Bruni, Luis Emilio

    2015-01-01

    . Within the developmental hierarchy, each module yields an inter-level relationship that makes it possible for the scaffolding to mediate the production of selectable variations. Awide range of genetic, cellular and morphological mechanisms allows the scaffolding to integrate these modular variations...... to the complexity of sign recognition proper of a cellular community. In this semiotic perspective, the apparent goal directness of any developmental strategy should no longer be accounted for by a predetermined genetic program, but by the gradual definition of the relationships selected amongst the ones...

  17. Impact of prospective verification of intravenous antibiotics in an ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, Allyson; Nakajima, Steven; Hall Zimmerman, Lisa; Patel, Manav

    2016-12-01

    Delay in appropriate antibiotic therapy is associated with an increase in mortality and prolonged length of stay. Automatic dispensing machines decrease the delivery time of intravenous (IV) antibiotics to patients in the emergency department (ED). However, when IV antibiotics are not reviewed by pharmacists before being administered, patients are at risk for receiving inappropriate antibiotic therapy. The objective of this study was to determine if a difference exists in the time to administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy before and after implementation of prospective verification of antibiotics in the ED. This retrospective, institutional review board-approved preimplementation vs postimplementation study evaluated patients 18years or older who were started on IV antibiotics in the ED. Patients were excluded if pregnant, if the patient is a prisoner, if no cultures were drawn, or if the patient was transferred from an outside facility. Appropriate antibiotic therapy was based on empiric source-specific evidence-based guidelines, appropriate pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, and microbiologic data. The primary end point was the time from ED arrival to administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Of the 1628 evaluated, 128 patients met the inclusion criteria (64 pre vs 64 post). Patients were aged 65.2±17.0years, with most of infections being pneumonia (44%) and urinary tract infections (18%) and most patients being noncritically ill. Time to appropriate antibiotic therapy was reduced in the postgroup vs pregroup (8.1±8.6 vs 15.2±22.8hours, respectively, P=.03). In addition, appropriate empiric antibiotics were initiated more frequently after the implementation (92% post vs 66% pre; P=.0001). There was no difference in mortality or length of stay between the 2 groups. Prompt administration of the appropriate antibiotics is imperative in patients with infections presenting to the ED. The impact of prospective verification of

  18. Psychotherapy with people with developmental disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Zafošnik

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available People with developmental disabilities can experience any psychological abnormalitiy and psychiatric illness as do people without developmental disabilities. Due to different diagnostic criteria, assessment procedures and instruments, we lack definite prevalence rates for people with developmental disabilities, also suffering from mental health problems, eventhough most studies place the rate at 20 to 40%. One of the possible treatment alternatives for augmenting psychological well-being is psychotherapy, but is extremely rarely used for people with severe and profound disabilities, where speech cannot be the main therapeutic medium. So, those that are included in the psychotherapuetic process are predominantly clients with mild developmental disabilities, and they are mostly in cognitive-behavioral therapy. Recently, two models of (psychotherapy for persons with severe and profound developmental disabilities were developed: developmental-dynamic relationship therapy and attachment-based behaviour therapy for children. Conceptually, they both originate form developmental psychoanalytic theories.

  19. oneED: Embedding a mindfulness-based wellness programme into an emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braganza, Shahina; Young, Jessica; Sweeny, Amy; Brazil, Victoria

    2018-03-30

    ED staff are subject to many stressors, but there are few descriptions of collective approaches to enhancing wellness in this setting. We aim to describe a programme developed to address these issues at department level, to report the feasibility and sustainability of the programme, and its impact on staff. The oneED programme was developed and delivered in a tertiary ED. The programme included a 1 day mindfulness workshop, followed by ongoing mindfulness activities embedded in clinical areas over the subsequent 12 months. A mixed-methods evaluation of the programme was conducted, which included quantitative validated psychological tools to measure anxiety, depression and emotional exhaustion, and pragmatic evaluation using surveys of participants and iterative appreciative inquiry. Eighty staff members attended the mindfulness workshop; 66 from ED. Following the workshop, understanding and frequency of mindfulness practice increased significantly in 47% of participants. Free-text survey results demonstrated that staff found the programme to be acceptable (80% survey participants) and of perceived value to themselves (50%) and the ED (60%). Appreciative inquiry led to modification of the programme: the 4 min pause is now conducted weekly rather than daily, the pause consists of a variety of activities, and group activities are made more overtly optional. A departmental wellness programme embedding mindfulness practice is feasible and sustainable. Potential for success is enhanced by an approach that is open to modification according to each institution's culture. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

  20. Note critiche sui rapporti tra diritto ed economia

    OpenAIRE

    Tuzet, Giovanni

    2017-01-01

    Il saggio inquadra teoricamente i principali rapporti fra diritto ed economia e analizza i vari metodi e approcci dell'analisi economica del diritto, rilvandone gli aspetti critici e discutendo infine gli approcci comportamentali e la "nudge theory".

  1. The relative contribution of provider and ED-level factors to variation among the top 15 reasons for ED admission.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khojah, Imad; Li, Suhui; Luo, Qian; Davis, Griffin; Galarraga, Jessica E; Granovsky, Michael; Litvak, Ori; Davis, Samuel; Shesser, Robert; Pines, Jesse M

    2017-09-01

    We examine adult emergency department (ED) admission rates for the top 15 most frequently admitted conditions, and assess the relative contribution in admission rate variation attributable to the provider and hospital. This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study of ED encounters (≥18years) from 19 EDs and 603 providers (January 2012-December 2013), linked to the Area Health Resources File for county-level information on healthcare resources. "Hospital admission" was the outcome, a composite of inpatient, observation, or intra-hospital transfer. We studied the 15 most commonly admitted conditions, and calculated condition-specific risk-standardized hospital admission rates (RSARs) using multi-level hierarchical generalized linear models. We then decomposed the relative contribution of provider-level and hospital-level variation for each condition. The top 15 conditions made up 34% of encounters and 49% of admissions. After adjustment, the eight conditions with the highest hospital-level variation were: 1) injuries, 2) extremity fracture (except hip fracture), 3) skin infection, 4) lower respiratory disease, 5) asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (A&C), 6) abdominal pain, 7) fluid/electrolyte disorders, and 8) chest pain. Hospital-level intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.042 for A&C to 0.167 for extremity fractures. Provider-level ICCs ranged from 0.026 for abdominal pain to 0.104 for chest pain. Several patient, hospital, and community factors were associated with admission rates, but these varied across conditions. For different conditions, there were different contributions to variation at the hospital- and provider-level. These findings deserve consideration when designing interventions to optimize admission decisions and in value-based payment programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Influence of parental depressive symptoms on adopted toddler behaviors: an emerging developmental cascade of genetic and environmental effects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pemberton, Caroline K; Neiderhiser, Jenae M; Leve, Leslie D; Natsuaki, Misaki N; Shaw, Daniel S; Reiss, David; Ge, Xiaojia

    2010-11-01

    This study examined the developmental cascade of both genetic and environmental influences on toddlers' behavior problems through the longitudinal and multigenerational assessment of psychosocial risk. We used data from the Early Growth and Development Study, a prospective adoption study, to test the intergenerational transmission of risk through the assessment of adoptive mother, adoptive father, and biological parent depressive symptoms on toddler behavior problems. Given that depression is often chronic, we control for across-time continuity and find that in addition to associations between adoptive mother depressive symptoms and toddler externalizing problems, adoptive father depressive symptoms when the child is 9 months of age were associated with toddler problems and associated with maternal depressive symptoms. Findings also indicated that a genetic effect may indirectly influence toddler problems through prenatal pregnancy risk. These findings help to describe how multiple generations are linked through genetic (biological parent), timing (developmental age of the child), and contextual (marital partner) pathways.

  3. Developmental and functional significance of the CSF-1 proteoglycan chondroitin sulfate chain

    OpenAIRE

    Nandi, Sayan; Akhter, Mohammed P.; Seifert, Mark F.; Dai, Xu-Ming; Stanley, E. Richard

    2006-01-01

    The primary macrophage growth factor, colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), is homodimeric and exists in 3 biologically active isoforms: a membrane-spanning, cell-surface glycoprotein (csCSF-1) and secreted glycoprotein (sgCSF-1) and proteoglycan (spCSF-1) isoforms. To investigate the in vivo role of the chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chain of spCSF-1, we created mice that exclusively express, in a normal tissue-specific and developmental manner, either the secreted precursor of s...

  4. Missing the boat: odds for the patients who leave ED without being seen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fayyaz Jabeen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A patient left without being seen is a well-recognized indicator of Emergency Department overcrowding. The aim of this study was to define the characteristics of LWBS patients, their rates and associated factors from a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan. Methods A retrospective patient record review was undertaken. All patients presenting to the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, between April and December of the year 2010, were included in the study. Information was collected on age, sex, presenting complaints, ED capacity, month, time, shift, day of the week, and waiting times in the ED. A basic descriptive analysis was made and the rates of LWBS patients were determined among the patient subgroups. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors associated with a patient not being seen in the ED. Results A total of 38,762 patients visited ED during the study period. Among them 5,086 (13% patients left without being seen. Percentage of leaving was highest in the night shift (20%. The percentage was twice as high when the ED was on diversion (19.8% compared to regular periods of operation (9.8%. Mean waiting time before leaving the ED in pediatric patients was 154 minutes while for adults it was 171 minutes. More than 32% of patients had waited for more than 180 minutes before they left without being seen, compared to the patients who were seen in ED. Important predictors for LWBS included; Triage category P4 i.e. walk –in-patients had an OR of 13.62(8.72-21.3, Diversion status, OR 1.49(1.26-1.76, night shift , OR 2.44(1.95-3.05 and Pediatric age, OR 0.57(0.48-0.66. Conclusions Our study elucidates the LWBS population characteristics and identifies the risk factors for this phenomenon. Targeted interventions should be planned and implemented to decrease the waiting time and alternate services should be provided for high-risk patients (for LWBS to minimize their number.

  5. The implementation of Mask-Ed: reflections of academic participants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reid-Searl, Kerry; Levett-Jones, Tracy; Cooper, Simon; Happell, Brenda

    2014-09-01

    This paper profiles the findings from a study that explored the perspectives and experiences of nurse educators who implemented a novel simulation approach termed Mask-Ed. The technique involves the educator wearing a silicone mask and or body parts and transforming into a character. The premise of this approach is that the masked educator has domain specific knowledge related to the simulation scenario and can transmit this to learners in a way that is engaging, realistic, spontaneous and humanistic. Nurse educators charged with the responsibility of implementing Mask-Ed in three universities were invited to participate in the study by attending an introductory workshop, implementing the technique and then journaling their experiences, insights and perspectives over a 12 month period. The journal entries were then thematically analysed. Key themes were categorised under the headings of Preparation, Implementation and Impact; Reflexivity and Responsiveness; Student Engagement and Ownership; and Teaching and Learning. Mask-Ed is a simulation approach which allows students to interact with the 'characters' in humanistic ways that promote person-centred care and therapeutic communication. This simulation approach holds previously untapped potential for a range of learning experiences, however, to be effective, adequate resourcing, training, preparation and practice is required. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. "Etica ed Estetica sono tutt’uno" Riflessioni su TLP 6.421

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabriele Tomasi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Per il primo Wittgenstein etica ed estetica erano tutt’uno. Scopo del saggio è fornire un’interpretazione di questa concezione. Esaminando il modo in cui è proposta nel Tractatus e considerando alcune annotazioni dei Quaderni 1914-1916 si evidenzia che l’unità di etica ed estetica è in un modo di vedere il mondo per cui esso non appare come fonte di limitazione. L’etica è un’estensione al mondo - alla vita - della capacità di conferire significato che nell’arte si realizza nei riguardi di oggetti particolari. Affermando l’unità di etica ed estetica Wittgenstein attira l’attenzione sul fatto che la radice dell’etica è in un certo modo di vedere le cose, in un atteggiamento verso la vita. Si tratta della prospettiva di un valore non connesso a come il mondo è e che è evocato dalla meraviglia per l’esistenza del mondo.

  7. Developmental and Cognitive Characteristics of “High-Level Potentialities” (Highly Gifted Children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurence Vaivre-Douret

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This study covers the interesting field of the development in gifted children which is often neglected in pediatrics because psychomotor development data are still rare, since “gifted” children are generally noticed towards the end of their primary schooling by IQ measurement. Developmental studies have shown the evidence from several fields that children identified as “high-level potentialities” or “intellectually gifted” develop sensory, locomotor, neuropsychological, and language skills earlier than typically expected. The hypothesis is offered that the earlier development originates from biological processes affecting the physical development of the brain and in turn even intellectual abilities are developed earlier, potentially allowing for advanced development. Further it is discussed how these developmental advances interact with the social environment and in certain circumstances may entail increased risk for developing socioemotional difficulties and learning disabilities that often go unaddressed due to the masking by the advance intellectual abilities.

  8. Epigenetics: A way to bridge the gap between biological fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicoglou, Antonine; Merlin, Francesca

    2017-12-01

    The concept of epigenetics has evolved since Waddington defined it from the late 1930s as the study of the causal mechanisms at work in development. It has become a multi-faceted notion with different meanings, depending on the disciplinary context it is used. In this article, we first analyse the transformations of the concept of epigenetics, from Waddington to contemporary accounts, in order to identify its different meanings and traditions, and to come up with a typology of epigenetics throughout its history. Second, we show on this basis that epigenetics has progressively turned its main focus from biological problems regarding development, toward issues concerning evolution. Yet, both these different epistemological aspects of epigenetics still coexist. Third, we claim that the classical opposition between epigenesis and preformationism as ways of thinking about the developmental process is part of the history of epigenetics and has contributed to its current various meanings. With these objectives in mind, we first show how Waddington introduced the term "epigenetics" in a biological context in order to solve a developmental problem, and we then build on this by presenting Nanney's, Riggs' and Holliday's definitions, which form the basis for the current conception of "molecular epigenetics". Then, we show that the evo-devo research field is where some particular uses of epigenetics have started shifting from developmental issues to evolutionary problems. We also show that epigenetics has progressively focused on the issue of epigenetic inheritance within the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis' framework. Finally, we conclude by presenting a typology of the different conceptions of epigenetics throughout time, and analyse the connections between them. We argue that, since Waddington, epigenetics, as an integrative research area, has been used to bridge the gap between different biological fields. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Developmental vitamin D deficiency causes abnormal brain development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eyles, D W; Feron, F; Cui, X; Kesby, J P; Harms, L H; Ko, P; McGrath, J J; Burne, T H J

    2009-12-01

    There is now clear evidence that vitamin D is involved in brain development. Our group is interested in environmental factors that shape brain development and how this may be relevant to neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia. The origins of schizophrenia are considered developmental. We hypothesised that developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency may be the plausible neurobiological explanation for several important epidemiological correlates of schizophrenia namely: (1) the excess winter/spring birth rate, (2) increased incidence of the disease in 2nd generation Afro-Caribbean migrants and (3) increased urban birth rate. Moreover we have published two pieces of direct epidemiological support for this hypothesis in patients. In order to establish the "Biological Plausibility" of this hypothesis we have developed an animal model to study the effect of DVD deficiency on brain development. We do this by removing vitamin D from the diet of female rats prior to breeding. At birth we return all dams to a vitamin D containing diet. Using this procedure we impose a transient, gestational vitamin D deficiency, while maintaining normal calcium levels throughout. The brains of offspring from DVD-deficient dams are characterised by (1) a mild distortion in brain shape, (2) increased lateral ventricle volumes, (3) reduced differentiation and (4) diminished expression of neurotrophic factors. As adults, the alterations in ventricular volume persist and alterations in brain gene and protein expression emerge. Adult DVD-deficient rats also display behavioural sensitivity to agents that induce psychosis (the NMDA antagonist MK-801) and have impairments in attentional processing. In this review we summarise the literature addressing the function of vitamin D on neuronal and non-neuronal cells as well as in vivo results from DVD-deficient animals. Our conclusions from these data are that vitamin D is a plausible biological risk factor for neuropsychiatric disorders and that

  10. ReEDS-Mexico: A Capacity Expansion Model of the Mexican Power System

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ho, Jonathan L [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cole, Wesley J [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Spyrou, Evangelia [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

    2017-09-29

    This report documents the ReEDS-Mexico capacity expansion model, which is an extension of the ReEDS model to the Mexican power system. In recent years Mexico’s power sector has undergone considerable reform that has significant potential to impact the future electricity mix (Alpizar–Castro and Rodríguez–Monroy 2016). Day-ahead and real-time trading in Mexico’s power markets opened in early 2016. In addition to this reform, Mexico is striving to ensure that 35% of its electricity is generated from clean energy sources by 2024, 40% by 2035, and 50% by 2050 (Presidencia de la República 2016). These rapid changes in both the market and the generation mix create a need for robust tools that can help electricity sector stakeholders make informed decisions. The purpose of this report is to document the extension of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model (Eurek et al. 2016) to cover the Mexico power system. This extension, which we will refer to throughout this paper as ReEDS-Mexico, provides a model of the Mexico power sector using a system-wide, least-cost optimization framework.

  11. Communication-Based Assessment of Developmental Age for Young Children with Developmental Disabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVeney, Shari L.; Hoffman, Lesa; Cress, Cynthia J.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: In this study, the authors compared a multiple-domain strategy for assessing developmental age of young children with developmental disabilities who were at risk for long-term reliance on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) with a communication-based strategy composed of receptive language and communication indices that may…

  12. The administration sequence of propofol and remifentanil does not affect the ED50 and ED95 of rocuronium in rapid sequence induction of anesthesia: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozcelik, M; Guclu, C; Bermede, O; Baytas, V; Altay, N; Karahan, M A; Erdogan, B; Can, O

    2016-04-01

    The topic of drug administration sequence in rapid sequence induction (RSI) is still an object of interest in terms of rocuronium effectiveness. The aim of this prospective, randomized trial was to evaluate the effect of administration sequence of propofol and remifentanil on ED50 and ED95 of rocuronium in a RSI model. Eighty-four patients were randomized into Group Remifentanil (Group R, n = 43), where induction of general anesthesia started with remifentanil (2 µg/kg) and followed by propofol (2 mg/kg) and rocuronium administrations; and Group Propofol (Group P, n = 41), where induction of general anesthesia started with propofol and followed by remifentanil and rocuronium. First patients in each group were paralyzed by 0.8 mg/kg rocuronium. In case of acceptable intubation as evaluated according to the criteria described by Viby-Mogensen et al, rocuronium dose was decreased by 0.1 mg/kg for the next patient; otherwise, rocuronium dose was increased by 0.1 mg/kg. After three crossover points, increments or decrements in rocuronium dosage were set to 0.05 mg/kg. The process was repeated until a total of ten crossover points were obtained. The ED50 and ED95 doses of rocuronium were similar in Group R (0.182 mg/kg, and 0.244 mg/kg, respectively) and Group P (0.121 mg/kg, and 0.243 mg/kg, respectively) according to 95% CI of the estimates. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of clinically acceptable intubation conditions between the two groups (56.1% in Group R vs. 59% in Group P, p = 0.795). The choice of administration sequence of propofol and remifentanil does not have an impact on estimated ED50 and ED95 of rocuronium in providing acceptable intubation conditions in the RSI technique.

  13. EdF let Germans manage Stredoslovenska Energetika

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janoska, J.

    2003-01-01

    According to provisions of privatisation and shareholders agreement Stredoslovenska energetika (SSE), a.s., Zilina should be managed by the largest European power concern Electricite de France (EdF). But so far, one year after the acquisition, the only French member of the Supervisory board is its Chairman Patrick Luccioni. The Board has 5 members and two of them are German - Peter Weis and Martin Konerman. The latter joined in September this year. He came to Slovakia after years spent in Boards of Hungarian distribution companies - Elmu in Budapest and Emasz in Miskolcz. The name of Peter Weis still can be found on the web page of Emasz on the list of members of Supervisory Board. Strategic partner in both the mentioned Hungarian distribution companies is the third largest player on the German energy market - Energie Baden-Wurttemberg (EnBW). The French concern with its 35-percent stake is the biggest individual shareholder of the EnBW. EdF is reassessing its international projects. Due to an investment embargo the French will not be among the prospects interested in acquisition of Slovenske elektrarne, a.s., Bratislava but the company management has also announced its intention to sell its minority stakes in northern and eastern Europe. The Paris head office of EdF announced its decision in the time when privatisation of Slovak distribution companies was culminating. And so in order to maintain its influence the 49-percent stake in SSE together with management control over the company will be transferred to EnBW. Spokeswoman of EnBW, Petra Wollmer did not say the company would not plan any acquisitions in area of its core business but stressed that these would have to be thoroughly examined. She did not wish to comment on any potential plans the company may have in Slovakia or that would relate to changes in the management bodies of SSE. Not even the Head of Communication Department of the Slovak distribution company, Pavel Muller was allowed to publish any

  14. lsnjbhakta@gmail.com A Comparative SEM-EDS Elemental

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Michael Horsfall

    effect on food production in terrestrial and aquatic compartment in ... Processing and SEM-EDS analysis of mud: In the laboratory, the ... and for SEM image observation was 15 kV, applying .... by weathering in the Omi acid clay deposit, Japan.

  15. A Novel Semiconductor CIGS Photovoltaic Material and Thin-Film ED Technology

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2001-01-01

    In order to achieve low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells, a novel Semiconductor Photovoltaic (PV) active material CuIn1-xGaxSe2 (CIGS) and thin-film Electro-Deposition (ED) technology is explored. Firstly,the PV materials and technologies is investigated, then the detailed experimental processes of CIGS/Mo/glass structure by using the novel ED technology and the results are reported. These results shows that high quality CIGS polycrystalline thin-films can be obtained by the ED method, in which the polycrystalline CIGS is definitely identified by the (112), (204, 220) characteristic peaks of the tetragonal structure, the continuous CIGS thin-film layers with particle average size of about 2μm of length and around 1.6μm of thickness. The thickness and solargrade quality of CIGS thin-films can be produced with good repeatability. Discussion and analysis on the ED technique, CIGS energy band and sodium (Na) impurity properties, were also performed. The alloy CIGS exhibits not only increasing band-gap with increasing x, but also a change in material properties that is relevant to the device operation. The beneficial impurity Na originating from the low-cost soda-lime glass substrate becomes one prerequisite for high quality CIGS films. These novel material and technology are very useful for low-cost high-efficiency thin-film solar cells and other devices.

  16. Biology meets Physics: Reductionism and Multi-scale Modeling of Morphogenesis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Green, Sara; Batterman, Robert

    2017-01-01

    A common reductionist assumption is that macro-scale behaviors can be described "bottom-up" if only sufficient details about lower-scale processes are available. The view that an "ideal" or "fundamental" physics would be sufficient to explain all macro-scale phenomena has been met with criticism ...... modeling in developmental biology. In such contexts, the relation between models at different scales and from different disciplines is neither reductive nor completely autonomous, but interdependent....... from philosophers of biology. Specifically, scholars have pointed to the impossibility of deducing biological explanations from physical ones, and to the irreducible nature of distinctively biological processes such as gene regulation and evolution. This paper takes a step back in asking whether bottom......-up modeling is feasible even when modeling simple physical systems across scales. By comparing examples of multi-scale modeling in physics and biology, we argue that the “tyranny of scales” problem present a challenge to reductive explanations in both physics and biology. The problem refers to the scale...

  17. Dampened hippocampal oscillations and enhanced spindle activity in an asymptomatic model of developmental cortical malformations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elena eCid

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Developmental cortical malformations comprise a large spectrum of histopathological brain abnormalities and syndromes. Their genetic, developmental and clinical complexity suggests they should be better understood in terms of the complementary action of independently timed perturbations (i.e. the multiple-hit hypothesis. However, understanding the underlying biological processes remains puzzling. Here we induced developmental cortical malformations in offspring, after intraventricular injection of methylazoxymethanol (MAM in utero in mice. We combined extensive histological and electrophysiological studies to characterize the model. We found that MAM injections at E14 and E15 induced a range of cortical and hippocampal malformations resembling histological alterations of specific genetic mutations and transplacental mitotoxic agent injections. However, in contrast to most of these models, intraventricularly MAM-injected mice remained asymptomatic and showed no clear epilepsy-related phenotype as tested in long-term chronic recordings and with pharmacological manipulations. Instead, they exhibited a non-specific reduction of hippocampal-related brain oscillations (mostly in CA1; including theta, gamma and HFOs; and enhanced thalamocortical spindle activity during non-REM sleep. These data suggest that developmental cortical malformations do not necessarily correlate with epileptiform activity. We propose that the intraventricular in utero MAM approach exhibiting a range of rhythmopathies is a suitable model for multiple-hit studies of associated neurological disorders.

  18. Morphology and Developmental Rate of the Blow Fly, Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Diptera: Calliphoridae: Forensic Entomology Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nophawan Bunchu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hemipyrellia ligurriens (Diptera: Calliphoridae is a forensically important blow fly species presented in many countries. In this study, we determined the morphology of all stages and the developmental rate of H. ligurriens reared under natural ambient conditions in Phitsanulok province, northern Thailand. Morphological features of all stages based on observing under a light microscope were described and demonstrated in order to use for identification purpose. Moreover, development time in each stage was given. The developmental time of H. ligurriens to complete metamorphosis; from egg, larva, pupa to adult, took 270.71 h for 1 cycle of development. The results from this study may be useful not only for application in forensic investigation, but also for study in its biology in the future.

  19. Responsibility in the age of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and epigenetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ismaili M'hamdi, H; de Beaufort, I; Jack, B; Steegers, E A P

    2018-02-01

    Insights from the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease paradigm and epigenetics are elucidating the biological pathways through which social and environmental signals affect human health. These insights prompt a serious debate about how the structure of society affects health and what the responsibility of society is to counteract health inequalities. Unfortunately, oversimplified interpretations of insights from Developmental Origins of Health and Disease and epigenetics may be (mis)used to focus on the importance of individual responsibility for health rather than the social responsibility for health. In order to advance the debate on responsibility for health, we present an ethical framework to determine the social responsibility to counteract health inequalities. This is particularly important in a time where individual responsibility often justifies a passive response from policymakers.

  20. Is scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS) quantitative?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Newbury, Dale E; Ritchie, Nicholas W M

    2013-01-01

    Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM/EDS) is a widely applied elemental microanalysis method capable of identifying and quantifying all elements in the periodic table except H, He, and Li. By following the "k-ratio" (unknown/standard) measurement protocol development for electron-excited wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WDS), SEM/EDS can achieve accuracy and precision equivalent to WDS and at substantially lower electron dose, even when severe X-ray peak overlaps occur, provided sufficient counts are recorded. Achieving this level of performance is now much more practical with the advent of the high-throughput silicon drift detector energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SDD-EDS). However, three measurement issues continue to diminish the impact of SEM/EDS: (1) In the qualitative analysis (i.e., element identification) that must precede quantitative analysis, at least some current and many legacy software systems are vulnerable to occasional misidentification of major constituent peaks, with the frequency of misidentifications rising significantly for minor and trace constituents. (2) The use of standardless analysis, which is subject to much broader systematic errors, leads to quantitative results that, while useful, do not have sufficient accuracy to solve critical problems, e.g. determining the formula of a compound. (3) EDS spectrometers have such a large volume of acceptance that apparently credible spectra can be obtained from specimens with complex topography that introduce uncontrolled geometric factors that modify X-ray generation and propagation, resulting in very large systematic errors, often a factor of ten or more. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Connecting Teachers and Ed-Tech Developers: Lessons from NYC's "Gap App" Program. Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villavicencio, Adriana; Siman, Nina; Lafayette, Camille; Kang, David

    2016-01-01

    In 2011, with support from a federal Investing in Innovation grant, the NYC Department of Education launched Innovate NYC Schools. The initiative was designed to address two, related challenges to effectively integrating education technology (ed-tech) into classrooms: First, procurement of ed-tech tools is often hampered by a disconnect between…

  2. Improving ED specimen TAT using Lean Six Sigma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanders, Janet H; Karr, Tedd

    2015-01-01

    Lean and Six Sigma are continuous improvement methodologies that have garnered international fame for improving manufacturing and service processes. Increasingly these methodologies are demonstrating their power to also improve healthcare processes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a case study for the application of Lean and Six Sigma tools in the reduction of turnaround time (TAT) for Emergency Department (ED) specimens. This application of the scientific methodologies uncovered opportunities to improve the entire ED to lab system for the specimens. This case study provides details on the completion of a Lean Six Sigma project in a 1,000 bed tertiary care teaching hospital. Six Sigma's Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control methodology is very similar to good medical practice: first, relevant information is obtained and assembled; second, a careful and thorough diagnosis is completed; third, a treatment is proposed and implemented; and fourth, checks are made to determine if the treatment was effective. Lean's primary goal is to do more with less work and waste. The Lean methodology was used to identify and eliminate waste through rapid implementation of change. The initial focus of this project was the reduction of turn-around-times for ED specimens. However, the results led to better processes for both the internal and external customers of this and other processes. The project results included: a 50 percent decrease in vials used for testing, a 50 percent decrease in unused or extra specimens, a 90 percent decrease in ED specimens without orders, a 30 percent decrease in complete blood count analysis (CBCA) Median TAT, a 50 percent decrease in CBCA TAT Variation, a 10 percent decrease in Troponin TAT Variation, a 18.2 percent decrease in URPN TAT Variation, and a 2-5 minute decrease in ED registered nurses rainbow draw time. This case study demonstrated how the quantitative power of Six Sigma and the speed of Lean worked in harmony to improve

  3. Effect of a redesigned fracture management pathway and 'virtual' fracture clinic on ED performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vardy, J; Jenkins, P J; Clark, K; Chekroud, M; Begbie, K; Anthony, I; Rymaszewski, L A; Ireland, A J

    2014-06-13

    Collaboration between the orthopaedic and emergency medicine (ED) services has resulted in standardised treatment pathways, leaflet supported discharge and a virtual fracture clinic review. Patients with minor, stable fractures are discharged with no further follow-up arranged. We aimed to examine the time taken to assess and treat these patients in the ED along with the rate of unplanned reattendance. A retrospective study was undertaken that covered 1 year before the change and 1 year after. Prospectively collected administrative data from the electronic patient record system were analysed and compared before and after the change. An ED and orthopaedic unit, serving a population of 300 000, in a publicly funded health system. 2840 patients treated with referral to a traditional fracture clinic and 3374 patients managed according to the newly redesigned protocol. Time for assessment and treatment of patients with orthopaedic injuries not requiring immediate operative management, and 7-day unplanned reattendance. Where plaster backslabs were replaced with removable splints, the consultation time was reduced. There was no change in treatment time for other injuries treated by the new discharge protocol. There was no increase in unplanned ED attendance, related to the injury, within 7 days (p=0.149). There was a decrease in patients reattending the ED due to a missed fracture clinic appointment. This process did not require any new time resources from the ED staff. This process brought significant benefits to the ED as treatment pathways were agreed. The pathway reduced unnecessary reattendance of patients at face-to-face fracture clinics for a review of stable, self-limiting injuries. 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.

  4. Radiation protection - radionuclides - Synthesis sheets: Thorium-232 (ED 4317), Gallium-67 (ED 4314), Indium-111 (ED 4315), Chromium-51 (ED 4313), Thallium-201 (ED 4312), Phosphorus-33 (ED 4316), Fluorine- 18 (ED 4311), Yttrium-90 (ED 4310), Americium-241 (ED 4308), Strontium-90 (ED 4309), Sulfur-35 (ED 4307), Iodine-125 (ED 4306), Phosphorus-32 (ED 4305), Iodine-123 (ED 4304), Tritium (ED 4303), Carbon-14 (ED 4302), Technetium-99m (ED 4301), Iodine-131 (ED 4300)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deligne, Jean-Michel; Sert, Gilles; Rannou, Alain; Vidal, Jean-Pierre; Aubert, Bernard; Despres, Alain; Donadille, Laurent; Biau, Alain; Pihet, Pascal; Vial, Eric; Gambini, Denis-Jean; Gauron, Christine; Servent, Jean-Pierre; Moureaux, Patrick; Girod, Michel; Ammerich, Marc; Herbelet, Gilbert; Lahaye, Thierry; Le Dirac'h, Bertrand; Le Guen, Bernard; Manin, Jean-Pierre; Roussille, Francoise; Frot, Patricia

    2013-12-01

    For each radionuclide, this document presents its characteristics (origin, radio-physical properties, biological properties), gives an overview of its uses, indicates and discusses its dosimetric parameters (for internal or external exposure), indicates radiation detection and contamination measurement techniques, gives an overview of means of protection (for premises, against external or internal exposure), describes the delimitation and control of premises, describes aspects related to personnel classification, training and medical monitoring, comments the issue of effluents and wastes, indicates administrative procedures related to the authorization and declaration of possession and use of sealed and unsealed sources, addresses the issue of transport, and describes what is to be done in case of incident or accident

  5. Developmental plasticity: Friend or foe?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michels, Karin B

    2017-01-01

    Developmental plasticity - the concept that adaptation to changing and unfavorable environmental conditions are possible but may come at the price of compromised health potentials - has evolutionary grounding as it facilitates survival but dissents with fundamental evolutionary principles in that it may advance the lesser fit. It is an important cornerstone of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD). Unlike evolutionary adaptation developmental plasticity may be short-lived and restricted to one or few generations and inheritance is uncertain. Potential mechanisms include epigenetic modifications adopted in utero which may not transmit to the next generation; future insights may allow adjustments of the outcomes of developmental plasticity.

  6. Is evolutionary psychology a metatheory for psychology? A discussion of four major issues in psychology from an evolutionary developmental perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ploeger, A.; van der Maas, H.L.J.; Raijmakers, M.E.J.

    2008-01-01

    Evolutionary psychology has been proposed as a metatheoretical framework for psychology. We argue that evolutionary psychology should be expanded if it is to offer new insights regarding the major issues in psychology. Evolutionary developmental biology can provide valuable new insights into issues

  7. Developmental toxicity of low generation PAMAM dendrimers in zebrafish

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King Heiden, Tisha C.; Dengler, Emelyne; Kao, Weiyuan John; Heideman, Warren; Peterson, Richard E.

    2007-01-01

    Biological molecules and intracellular structures operate at the nanoscale; therefore, development of nanomedicines shows great promise for the treatment of disease by using targeted drug delivery and gene therapies. PAMAM dendrimers, which are highly branched polymers with low polydispersity and high functionality, provide an ideal architecture for construction of effective drug carriers, gene transfer devices and imaging of biological systems. For example, dendrimers bioconjugated with selective ligands such as Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) would theoretically target cells that contain integrin receptors and show potential for use as drug delivery devices. While RGD-conjugated dendrimers are generally considered not to be cytotoxic, there currently exists little information on the risks that such materials pose to human health. In an effort to compliment and extend the knowledge gleaned from cell culture assays, we have used the zebrafish embryo as a rapid, medium throughput, cost-effective whole-animal model to provide a more comprehensive and predictive developmental toxicity screen for nanomaterials such as PAMAM dendrimers. Using the zebrafish embryo, we have assessed the developmental toxicity of low generation (G3.5 and G4) PAMAM dendrimers, as well as RGD-conjugated forms for comparison. Our results demonstrate that G4 dendrimers, which have amino functional groups, are toxic and attenuate growth and development of zebrafish embryos at sublethal concentrations; however, G3.5 dendrimers, with carboxylic acid terminal functional groups, are not toxic to zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, RGD-conjugated G4 dendrimers are less potent in causing embryo toxicity than G4 dendrimers. RGD-conjugated G3.5 dendrimers do not elicit toxicity at the highest concentrations tested and warrant further study for use as a drug delivery device

  8. Characterisation of nanoparticles by means of high-resolution SEM/EDS in transmission mode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hodoroaba, V-D; Rades, S; Mielke, J; Ortel, E; Salge, T; Schmidt, R

    2016-01-01

    Advances in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) enable the high-resolution imaging of single nanoparticles (NPs) with sizes well below 10 nm. The SEM analysis in transmission mode (T-SEM) of NPs on thin film supports has many benefits when compared to the analysis of NPs on bulk substrates. The enhanced material (mass - thickness) contrast of the T-SEM imaging mode is well suited for in-depth and, particularly valuable, to very accurate, traceable, lateral dimensional measurements of NPs. Compared to samples prepared on bulk substrates, T-SEM with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) achieves a drastically improved spatial resolution of the emitted X-rays. The poor signal-to-noise ratio of the X-ray spectra emitted by a single nanoparticle (NP) can be improved by the use of high-sensitivity (high collection solid angle) silicon drift (SDD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS). The EDS spectral imaging of a single NP with a spatial resolution below 10 nm has become possible. This is demonstrated by means of various examples of nanostructures. Advanced data processing of T-SEM/EDS results sets the stage for the automated classification of NPs by feature analysis. This method combines the detection of morphological structures of interest by image processing of T-SEM micrographs with the chemical classification by EDS. (paper)

  9. Echinococcus as a model system: biology and epidemiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, R C A; Jenkins, D J

    2014-10-15

    The introduction of Echinococcus to Australia over 200 years ago and its establishment in sheep rearing areas of the country inflicted a serious medical and economic burden on the country. This resulted in an investment in both basic and applied research aimed at learning more about the biology and life cycle of Echinococcus. This research served to illustrate the uniqueness of the parasite in terms of developmental biology and ecology, and the value of Echinococcus as a model system in a broad range of research, from fundamental biology to theoretical control systems. These studies formed the foundation for an international, diverse and ongoing research effort on the hydatid organisms encompassing stem cell biology, gene regulation, strain variation, wildlife diseases and models of transmission dynamics. We describe the development, nature and diversity of this research, and how it was initiated in Australia but subsequently has stimulated much international and collaborative research on Echinococcus. Copyright © 2014 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Developmental evolutionary biology of the vertebrate ear: conserving mechanoelectric transduction and developmental pathways in diverging morphologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritzsch, B.; Beisel, K. W.; Bermingham, N. A.

    2000-01-01

    This brief overview shows that a start has been made to molecularly dissect vertebrate ear development and its evolutionary conservation to the development of the insect hearing organ. However, neither the patterning process of the ear nor the patterning process of insect sensory organs is sufficiently known at the moment to provide more than a first glimpse. Moreover, hardly anything is known about otocyst development of the cephalopod molluscs, another triploblast lineage that evolved complex 'ears'. We hope that the apparent conserved functional and cellular components present in the ciliated sensory neurons/hair cells will also be found in the genes required for vertebrate ear and insect sensory organ morphogenesis (Fig. 3). Likewise, we expect that homologous pre-patterning genes will soon be identified for the non-sensory cell development, which is more than a blocking of neuronal development through the Delta/Notch signaling system. Generation of the apparently unique ear could thus represent a multiplication of non-sensory cells by asymmetric and symmetric divisions as well as modification of existing patterning process by implementing novel developmental modules. In the final analysis, the vertebrate ear may come about by increasing the level of gene interactions in an already existing and highly conserved interactive cascade of bHLH genes. Since this was apparently achieved in all three lineages of triploblasts independently (Fig. 3), we now need to understand how much of the morphogenetic cascades are equally conserved across phyla to generate complex ears. The existing mutations in humans and mice may be able to point the direction of future research to understand the development of specific cell types and morphologies in the formation of complex arthropod, cephalopod, and vertebrate 'ears'.

  11. Human developmental enhancers conserved between deuterostomes and protostomes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shoa L Clarke

    Full Text Available The identification of homologies, whether morphological, molecular, or genetic, is fundamental to our understanding of common biological principles. Homologies bridging the great divide between deuterostomes and protostomes have served as the basis for current models of animal evolution and development. It is now appreciated that these two clades share a common developmental toolkit consisting of conserved transcription factors and signaling pathways. These patterning genes sometimes show common expression patterns and genetic interactions, suggesting the existence of similar or even conserved regulatory apparatus. However, previous studies have found no regulatory sequence conserved between deuterostomes and protostomes. Here we describe the first such enhancers, which we call bilaterian conserved regulatory elements (Bicores. Bicores show conservation of sequence and gene synteny. Sequence conservation of Bicores reflects conserved patterns of transcription factor binding sites. We predict that Bicores act as response elements to signaling pathways, and we show that Bicores are developmental enhancers that drive expression of transcriptional repressors in the vertebrate central nervous system. Although the small number of identified Bicores suggests extensive rewiring of cis-regulation between the protostome and deuterostome clades, additional Bicores may be revealed as our understanding of cis-regulatory logic and sample of bilaterian genomes continue to grow.

  12. Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing the HEADS-ED: A Rapid Screening Tool for Pediatric Patients in Emergency Departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacWilliams, Kate; Curran, Janet; Racek, Jakub; Cloutier, Paula; Cappelli, Mario

    2017-12-01

    This study sought to identify barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the HEADS-ED, a screening tool appropriate for use in the emergency department (ED) that facilitates standardized assessments, discharge planning, charting, and linking pediatric mental health patients to appropriate community resources. A qualitative theory-based design was used to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing the HEADS-ED tool. Focus groups were conducted with participants recruited from 6 different ED settings across 2 provinces (Ontario and Nova Scotia). The Theoretical Domains Framework was used as a conceptual framework to guide data collection and to identify themes from focus group discussions. The following themes spanning 12 domains were identified as reflective of participants' beliefs about the barriers and facilitators to implementing the HEADS-ED tool: knowledge, skills, beliefs about capabilities, social professional role and identity, optimism, beliefs about consequences, reinforcement, environmental context and resources, social influences, emotion, behavioral regulation and memory, and attention and decision process. The HEADS-ED has the potential to address the need for better discharge planning, complete charting, and standardized assessments for the increasing population of pediatric mental health patients who present to EDs. This study has identified potential barriers and facilitators, which should be considered when developing an implementation plan for adopting the HEADS-ED tool into practice within EDs.

  13. Developmental finite element analysis of cichlid pharyngeal jaws: Quantifying the generation of a key innovation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, Gerd B.

    2018-01-01

    Advances in imaging and modeling facilitate the calculation of biomechanical forces in biological specimens. These factors play a significant role during ontogenetic development of cichlid pharyngeal jaws, a key innovation responsible for one of the most prolific species diversifications in recent times. MicroCT imaging of radiopaque-stained vertebrate embryos were used to accurately capture the spatial relationships of the pharyngeal jaw apparatus in two cichlid species (Haplochromis elegans and Amatitlania nigrofasciata) for the purpose of creating a time series of developmental stages using finite element models, which can be used to assess the effects of biomechanical forces present in a system at multiple points of its ontogeny. Changes in muscle vector orientations, bite forces, force on the neurocranium where cartilage originates, and stress on upper pharyngeal jaws are analyzed in a comparative context. In addition, microCT scanning revealed the presence of previously unreported cement glands in A. nigrofasciata. The data obtained provide an underrepresented dimension of information on physical forces present in developmental processes and assist in interpreting the role of developmental dynamics in evolution. PMID:29320528

  14. Developmental finite element analysis of cichlid pharyngeal jaws: Quantifying the generation of a key innovation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim Peterson

    Full Text Available Advances in imaging and modeling facilitate the calculation of biomechanical forces in biological specimens. These factors play a significant role during ontogenetic development of cichlid pharyngeal jaws, a key innovation responsible for one of the most prolific species diversifications in recent times. MicroCT imaging of radiopaque-stained vertebrate embryos were used to accurately capture the spatial relationships of the pharyngeal jaw apparatus in two cichlid species (Haplochromis elegans and Amatitlania nigrofasciata for the purpose of creating a time series of developmental stages using finite element models, which can be used to assess the effects of biomechanical forces present in a system at multiple points of its ontogeny. Changes in muscle vector orientations, bite forces, force on the neurocranium where cartilage originates, and stress on upper pharyngeal jaws are analyzed in a comparative context. In addition, microCT scanning revealed the presence of previously unreported cement glands in A. nigrofasciata. The data obtained provide an underrepresented dimension of information on physical forces present in developmental processes and assist in interpreting the role of developmental dynamics in evolution.

  15. Improvement in Student Science Proficiency Through InSciEd Out

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonju, James D.; Leicester, Jean E.; Hoody, Maggie; LaBounty, Thomas J.; Frimannsdottir, Katrin R.; Ekker, Stephen C.

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Integrated Science Education Outreach (InSciEd Out) is a collaboration formed between Mayo Clinic, Winona State University, and Rochester Public Schools (MN) with the shared vision of achieving excellence in science education. InSciEd Out employs an equitable partnership model between scientists, teachers, education researchers, and the community. Teams of teachers from all disciplines within a single school experience cutting-edge science using the zebrafish model system, as well as current pedagogical methods, during a summer internship at the Mayo Clinic. Within the internship, the teachers produce new curriculum that directly addresses opportunities for science education improvement at their own school. Zebrafish are introduced within the new curriculum to support a living model of the practice of science. Following partnership with the InSciEd Out program and 2 years of implementation in the classroom, teacher-interns from a K–8 public school reported access to local scientific technology and expertise they had not previously recognized. Teachers also reported improved integration of other disciplines into the scientific curriculum and a flow of concepts vertically from K through 8. Students more than doubled selection of an Honors science track in high school to nearly 90%. 98% of students who took the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments in their 5th and 8th grade year (a span that includes 2 years of InSciEd Out) showed medium or high growth in science proficiency. These metrics indicate that cooperation between educators and scientists can result in positive change in student science proficiency and demonstrate that a higher expectation in science education can be achieved in US public schools. PMID:23244687

  16. Ekspert : "Väed Afganistanist välja!" / Aadu Hiietamm

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Hiietamm, Aadu, 1954-

    2007-01-01

    Saksa kriisiekspert Peter Scholl-Latour on seisukohal, et välisväed peavad Afganistanist lahkuma, sest seni pole keegi suutnud seal sõda võita. P. Scholl-Latouri artiklist poliitikaajakirjas Cicero

  17. A pharmacological screen for compounds that rescue the developmental lethality of a Drosophila ATM mutant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimkus, Stacey A; Wassarman, David A

    2018-01-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by mutation of the A-T mutated (ATM) gene. ATM encodes a protein kinase that is activated by DNA damage and phosphorylates many proteins, including those involved in DNA repair, cell cycle control, and apoptosis. Characteristic biological and molecular functions of ATM observed in mammals are conserved in Drosophila melanogaster. As an example, conditional loss-of-function ATM alleles in flies cause progressive neurodegeneration through activation of the innate immune response. However, unlike in mammals, null alleles of ATM in flies cause lethality during development. With the goals of understanding biological and molecular roles of ATM in a whole animal and identifying candidate therapeutics for A-T, we performed a screen of 2400 compounds, including FDA-approved drugs, natural products, and bioactive compounds, for modifiers of the developmental lethality caused by a temperature-sensitive ATM allele (ATM8) that has reduced kinase activity at non-permissive temperatures. Ten compounds reproducibly suppressed the developmental lethality of ATM8 flies, including Ronnel, which is an organophosphate. Ronnel and other suppressor compounds are known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction or to inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which controls the levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, suggesting that detrimental consequences of reduced ATM kinase activity can be rescued by inhibiting the function of mitochondria or increasing acetylcholine levels. We carried out further studies of Ronnel because, unlike the other compounds that suppressed the developmental lethality of homozygous ATM8 flies, Ronnel was toxic to the development of heterozygous ATM8 flies. Ronnel did not affect the innate immune response of ATM8 flies, and it further increased the already high levels of DNA damage in brains of ATM8 flies, but its effects were not harmful to the lifespan of rescued ATM8 flies. These results provide

  18. Structural brain imaging correlates of ASD and ADHD across the lifespan: a hypothesis-generating review on developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rommelse, N.N.J.; Buitelaar, J.K.; Hartman, C.A.

    2017-01-01

    We hypothesize that it is plausible that biologically distinct developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes are present, each characterized by a distinct time of onset of symptoms, progression and combination of symptoms. The aim of the present narrative review was to explore if structural brain imaging studies

  19. Structural brain imaging correlates of ASD and ADHD across the lifespan : A hypothesis-generating review on developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rommelse, Nanda; Buitelaar, Jan K.; Hartman, Catharina A.

    We hypothesize that it is plausible that biologically distinct developmental ASD-ADHD subtypes are present, each characterized by a distinct time of onset of symptoms, progression and combination of symptoms. The aim of the present narrative review was to explore if structural brain imaging studies

  20. Effect of Job Specialization on the Hospital Stay and Job Satisfaction of ED Nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shamsi, Vahid; Mahmoudi, Hosein; Sirati Nir, Masoud; Babatabar Darzi, Hosein

    2016-02-01

    In recent decades, the increasing crowdedness of the emergency departments has posed various problems for patients and healthcare systems worldwide. These problems include prolonged hospital stay, patient dissatisfaction and nurse burnout or job dissatisfaction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of emergency department (ED) nurses' job specialization on their job satisfaction and the length of patient stay in the ED. This before-after quasi-experimental study was conducted from April to May 2014 at the Baqiyatallah Hospital, Tehran, Iran. Initially, 35 patients were recruited as controls and the length of their stay in the ED was measured in minutes via a chronometer; Moreover, nurses' job satisfaction was evaluated using the Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman job satisfaction scale. Then, a job specialization intervention was developed based on the stabilization model. After that, 35 new patients were recruited to the treatment group and received specialized care services. Accordingly, the length of their stay in the ED was measured. Moreover, the same nurses' job satisfaction was re-evaluated after the study. The study intervention lasted one month. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 20 and statistical tests such as the Kolmogrov-Smirnov, the paired and the independent t, and chi-square tests. There was a significant difference between the two groups of patients concerning the length of their stay in the ED (P nurses had greater job satisfaction after the study (P job specialization intervention can improve nurses' satisfaction and relieve the crowdedness of the EDs.

  1. Barriers and facilitators to ED physician use of the test and treatment for BPPV.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerber, Kevin A; Forman, Jane; Damschroder, Laura; Telian, Steven A; Fagerlin, Angela; Johnson, Patricia; Brown, Devin L; An, Lawrence C; Morgenstern, Lewis B; Meurer, William J

    2017-06-01

    The test and treatment for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are evidence-based practices supported by clinical guideline statements. Yet these practices are underutilized in the emergency department (ED) and interventions to promote their use are needed. To inform the development of an intervention, we interviewed ED physicians to explore barriers and facilitators to the current use of the Dix-Hallpike test (DHT) and the canalith repositioning maneuver (CRM). We conducted semi-structured in-person interviews with ED physicians who were recruited at annual ED society meetings in the United States. We analyzed data thematically using qualitative content analysis methods. Based on 50 interviews with ED physicians, barriers that contributed to infrequent use of DHT/CRM that emerged were (1) prior negative experiences or forgetting how to perform them and (2) reliance on the history of present illness to identify BPPV, or using the DHT but misattributing patterns of nystagmus. Based on participants' responses, the principal facilitator of DHT/CRM use was prior positive experiences using these, even if infrequent. When asked which clinical supports would facilitate more frequent use of DHT/CRM, participants agreed supports needed to be brief, readily accessible, and easy to use, and to include well-annotated video examples. Interventions to promote the use of the DHT/CRM in the ED need to overcome prior negative experiences with the DHT/CRM, overreliance on the history of present illness, and the underuse and misattribution of patterns of nystagmus. Future resources need to be sensitive to provider preferences for succinct information and video examples.

  2. Developing a multidisciplinary approach within the ED towards domestic violence presentations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basu, Subhashis; Ratcliffe, Giles

    2014-03-01

    To improve the detection and quality of care of patients who attend the emergency department (ED) with confirmed or suspected domestic abuse (DA). A quality improvement report on the design, implementation and evaluation of a specialised service and structured training programme to detect and manage DA presentations within an emergency medicine department. The study was set in the ED at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK. Key measures for improvement included introducing a service within the ED to help staff manage DA and coordinate responses; improve staff confidence in detecting DA; develop a structured and consistent process by which to manage DA presentations. An Independent Domestic Violence Advocate service was introduced into the department in July 2011 through a multiagency agreement. A structured training and education programme was delivered to ED staff. A 'communications form' was developed for DA risk assessment and case management. The process was reviewed quarterly. One hundred and seventy-two referrals were made to the service (121 distinct clients) over a 12-month period. Staff reported greater confidence in detecting DA, and community partners highlighted the role the service had in improving DA detection and care quality within the city. Strong leadership and prioritising the issue within the department has facilitated the development of the process and contributed substantially to its success. Support from community partners has been invaluable in tailoring the service and education programme to the needs of staff and patients within the department.

  3. Solving the worldwide emergency department crowding problem - what can we learn from an Israeli ED?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pines, Jesse M; Bernstein, Steven L

    2015-01-01

    ED crowding is a prevalent and important issue facing hospitals in Israel and around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. ED crowding is associated with poorer quality of care and poorer health outcomes, along with extended waits for care. Crowding is caused by a periodic mismatch between the supply of ED and hospital resources and the demand for patient care. In a recent article in the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, Bashkin et al. present an Ishikawa diagram describing several factors related to longer length of stay (LOS), and higher levels of ED crowding, including management, process, environmental, human factors, and resource issues. Several solutions exist to reduce ED crowding, which involve addressing several of the issues identified by Bashkin et al. This includes reducing the demand for and variation in care, and better matching the supply of resources to demands in care in real time. However, what is needed to reduce crowding is an institutional imperative from senior leadership, implemented by engaged ED and hospital leadership with multi-disciplinary cross-unit collaboration, sufficient resources to implement effective interventions, access to data, and a sustained commitment over time. This may move the culture of a hospital to facilitate improved flow within and across units and ultimately improve quality and safety over the long-term.

  4. DEVELOPMENTAL TAXONOMY OF CONDUCT DISORDER

    OpenAIRE

    Jelena Kostić; Milkica Nešić; Jasminka Marković; Miodrag Stanković

    2015-01-01

    Conduct disorder is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of etiology, course and prognosis, and currently, there is no singular model that would describe the development of the disorder. The results of empirical research on males confirm this heterogeneity, as they point out to two possible developmental pathways: childhood-onset and adolescentonset type. This paper presents the basic elements of developmental taxonomic theory which argues that there are two different developmental pathways to c...

  5. Developmental trajectories of brain maturation and behavior: Relevance to major mental illnesses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sedona Lockhart

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Adverse events in childhood and adolescence, such as social neglect or drug abuse, are known to lead to behavioral changes in young adulthood. This is particularly true for the subset of people who are intrinsically more vulnerable to stressful conditions. Yet the underlying mechanisms for such developmental trajectory from early life insult to aberrant adult behavior remains elusive. Adolescence is a period of dynamic physiological, psychological, and behavioral changes, encompassing a distinct neurodevelopmental stage called the ‘critical period’. During adolescence, the brain is uniquely susceptible to stress. Stress mediators may lead to disturbances to biological processes that can cause permanent alterations in the adult stage, even as severe as the onset of mental illness when paired with genetic risk and environmental factors. Understanding the molecular factors governing the critical period and how stress can disturb the maturation processes will allow for better treatment and prevention of late adolescent/young adult onset psychiatric disorders. Keywords: Adolescence, Critical period, Developmental trajectory, Brain maturation, Adult behavior

  6. Psycho-biological correlates of free-floating anxiety symptoms in male patients with sexual dysfunctions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corona, Giovanni; Mannucci, Edoardo; Petrone, Luisa; Ricca, Valdo; Balercia, Giancarlo; Giommi, Roberta; Forti, Gianni; Maggi, Mario

    2006-01-01

    Anxiety has a relevant impact on everyday life, including sexual life, and therefore is considered the final common pathway by which social, psychological, and biological stressors negatively affect sexual functioning. The aim of this study is to define the psycho-biological correlates of free-floating anxiety in a large sample of patients complaining of erectile dysfunction (ED)-based sexual problems. We studied a consecutive series of 882 ED patients using SIEDY, a 13-item structured interview, composed of 3 scales that identify and quantify organic, relational, and intrapsychic domains. MHQ-A scoring from Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) was used as a putative marker of free-floating anxiety symptoms (AS). Metabolic and hormonal parameters, nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) test, and penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU) examination were also performed. MHQ-A score was significantly higher in patients complaining of difficulties in maintaining erection and in those reporting premature ejaculation (6.5 +/- 3.3 vs 5.8 +/- 3.3 and 6.6 +/- 3.3 vs 6.1 +/- 3.3, respectively; both P < .05). Moreover, ASs were significantly correlated to life stressors quantified by SIEDY scale 2 (relational component) and scale 3 (intrapsychic component) scores, as dissatisfaction at work or within the family or couple relationships. Among physical, biochemical, or instrumental parameters tested, only end-diastolic velocity at PDU was significantly (P < .05) related to ASs. In conclusion, in patients with ED-based sexual problems, ASs are correlated to many relational and life stressors. Conversely, organic problems are not necessarily associated with MHQ-A score.

  7. Heavy-ion microbeam system at JAEA-Takasaki for microbeam biology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funayama, Tomoo; Wada, Seiichi; Yokota, Yuichiro

    2008-01-01

    Research concerning cellular responses to low dose irradiation, radiation-induced bystander effects, and the biological track structure of charged particles has recently received particular attention in the field of radiation biology. Target irradiation employing a microbeam represents a useful means of advancing this research by obviating some of the disadvantages associated with the conventional irradiation strategies. The heavy-ion microbeam system at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA)-Takasaki, which was planned in 1987 and started in the early 1990's, can provide target irradiation of heavy charged particles to biological material at atmospheric pressure using a minimum beam size 5 μm in diameter. A variety of biological material has been irradiated using this microbeam system including cultured mammalian and higher plant cells, isolated fibers of mouse skeletal muscle, silkworm (Bombyx mori) embryos and larvae, Arabidopsis thaliana roots, and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The system can be applied to the investigation of mechanisms within biological organisms not only in the context of radiation biology, but also in the fields of general biology such as physiology, developmental biology and neurobiology, and should help to establish and contribute to the field of 'microbeam biology'. (author)

  8. Survey on morphometric characteristic of different developmental stages of Dermacentor marginatus under laboratory conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mehdi Darvishi

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the morphometric characteristics and biology of different developmental stages of Dermacentor marginatus (D. marginatus under laboratory conditions. Methods: D. marginatus ticks were collected from sheep in Shahmirzad and suburb. The identification of D. marginatus was carried out by means of stereoscope and light microscope according to available systematic keys. Nourished female ticks weight and their length of body, capitulum and mouth parts were measured. After laying eggs and breeding, the weight of all developmental larva stages and the length of mouth parts were measured and recorded carefully. Results: The mean of egg dimension was 566 µm伊436 µm. The length of unfed larva body, hypostome and capitulum were (690依10 µm, (75依5 µm and (172依7 µm, respectively. The weight of egg was calculated 0.05 mg and the weight of unfed larva, nymph and female were 0.02 mg, 0.14 mg and 4.66 mg, respectively; whereas the weight of replete larva, nymph and female were recorded 0.5 mg, 11 mg and 380 mg, respectively. Moreover, the length of unfed nymph, hypostome and capitulum were recorded (1300依50 µm, (135依5 µm and (280依10 µm, respectively. The longest length and width in replete female were observed to be 12.6 mm伊8.4 mm. Conclusions: The current investigation presents new information on biology of D. marginatus under standard laboratory conditions. Besides, investigation on ticks under laboratory conditions increases our knowledge regarding their biology and potential risks.

  9. Safe Handling of Snakes in an ED Setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cockrell, Melanie; Swanson, Kristofer; Sanders, April; Prater, Samuel; von Wenckstern, Toni; Mick, JoAnn

    2017-01-01

    Efforts to improve consistency in management of snakes and venomous snake bites in the emergency department (ED) can improve patient and staff safety and outcomes, as well as improve surveillance data accuracy. The emergency department at a large academic medical center identified an opportunity to implement a standardized process for snake disposal and identification to reduce staff risk exposure to snake venom from snakes patients brought with them to the ED. A local snake consultation vendor and zoo Herpetologist assisted with development of a process for snake identification and disposal. All snakes have been identified and securely disposed of using the newly implemented process and no safety incidents have been reported. Other emergency department settings may consider developing a standardized process for snake disposal using listed specialized consultants combined with local resources and suppliers to promote employee and patient safety. Copyright © 2017 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Inducing omnipotence or powerlessness in learners with developmental and attention difficulties through structuring technologies. Accepted for publication in EAI Special Issue (Eds. Eva Brooks)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Voldborg, Hanne; Sorensen, Elsebeth Korsgaard

    2017-01-01

    at school? Using this lens, the authors examine, to what extent technology may assist teachers to create more ideal learning environments by reducing the threat for these learners and enable them to participate in learning. Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), digital templates, timers and calendars......, become aware and understand their own role in the classroom. This paper suggests technologies for structuring and overviewing as basic assistive tools for equalizing the learning possibilities for learners with developmental and attention difficulties in an inclusive school setting....

  11. INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON CERTAIN BIOLOGICAL ATTRIBUTES OF A LADYBEETLE COCCINELLA SEPTEMPUNCTA TA LINNAEUS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    ShefaliSrivastava; Dmkar

    2003-01-01

    Influence of temperature on certain biological attributes of an aphidophagous ladybeetle, Coccinella septempunctata Linnaeus, feeding on mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kaltenbach), at five different temperatures, viz. 20, 25, 27, 30 and 35℃ was investigated. Its developmental period was shortest (11.7±0.09days) at 35℃ and longest (20.6±0.35 days) at 20℃. Developmental rate increased with increase in temperature. Hatching percent, larval survival, adult emergence and growth index were maximum at 30℃ and minimumat 20℃. Oviposition period and fecundity were highest at 30℃ and lowest at 20℃. A positive linear relationship exists between temperature and developmental rate and negative correlation between the duration of immature life stages and temperature. The proportion of developmental period allocated to each immature stage was found to be similar at each temperature regime. Thus, 30℃ was found as the most suitable for C. septempunctata amongst the five temperatures tested.

  12. Topographic processing in developmental prosopagnosia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Klargaard, Solja K.; Starrfelt, Randi; Petersen, Anders

    2016-01-01

    deficit in visual processing or visual short-term memory. Interestingly, a classical dissociation could be demonstrated between impaired face memory and preserved topographic memory in two developmental prosopagnosics. We conclude that impairments in topographic memory tend to co-occur with developmental......Anecdotal evidence suggests a relation between impaired spatial (navigational) processing and developmental prosopagnosia. To address this formally, we tested two aspects of topographic processing – that is, perception and memory of mountain landscapes shown from different viewpoints. Participants...

  13. In Vitro Developmental Toxicology Screens: A Report on the Progress of the Methodology and Future Applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Cindy; Ball, Jonathan; Panzica-Kelly, Julie; Augustine-Rauch, Karen

    2016-04-18

    There has been increasing focus on generation and assessment of in vitro developmental toxicology models for assessing teratogenic liability of chemicals. The driver for this focus has been to find reliable in vitro assays that will reduce or replace the use of in vivo tests for assessing teratogenicity. Such efforts may be eventually applied in testing pharmaceutical agents where a developmental toxicology assay or battery of assays may be incorporated into regulatory testing to replace one of the two species currently used in teratogenic assessment. Such assays may be eventually applied in testing a broader spectrum of chemicals, supporting efforts aligned with Tox21 strategies and responding to REACH legislation. This review describes the developmental toxicology assays that are of focus in these assessments: rodent whole embryo culture, zebrafish embryo assays, and embryonic stem cell assays. Progress on assay development as well as future directions of how these assays are envisioned to be applied for broader safety testing of chemicals are discussed. Altogether, the developmental model systems described in this review provide rich biological systems that can be utilized in better understanding teratogenic mechanisms of action of chemotypes and are promising in providing proactive safety assessment related to developmental toxicity. Continual advancements in refining/optimizing these in vitro assays are anticipated to provide a robust data set to provide thoughtful assessment of how whole animal teratogenicity evaluations can be reduced/refined in the future.

  14. Developmental stages of developmental screening: steps to implementation of a successful program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto-Martin, Jennifer A; Dunkle, Margaret; Earls, Marian; Fliedner, Dane; Landes, Cynthia

    2005-11-01

    Through the use of 2-stage screening strategies, research studies have shown that autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities can now be detected reliably and with greater validity and in children as young as 18 months of age. Screening and diagnostic practices in the medical and educational arena lag far behind clinical research, however, with the average patient age at time of diagnosis being 3 to 6 years.We discuss the challenges of instituting universal developmental screening as part of pediatric care and present 2 models of existing or planned programs of early screening for autism spectrum disorder and developmental disability (1 in a community-based setting and 1 in a pediatric setting), and discuss the pros and cons of the different strategies.

  15. Developmental commentary: individual and contextual influences on student-teacher relationships and children's early problem behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myers, Sonya S; Pianta, Robert C

    2008-07-01

    Understanding factors associated with children's early behavioral difficulties is of vital importance to children's school success, and to the prevention of future behavior problems. Although biological factors can influence the expression of certain behaviors, the probability of children exhibiting classroom behavior problems is intensified when they are exposed to multiple risk factors, particularly negative student-teacher interactions. Children who exhibit behavior problems during early childhood and the transition to kindergarten, without intervention, can be placed on a developmental trajectory for serious behavior problems in later grades. Using a developmental systems model, this commentary provides a conceptual framework for understanding the contributions of individual and contextual factors to the development of early student-teacher relationships. Parent, teacher, and student characteristics are discussed as they are related to shaping student-teacher interactions and children's adjustment to school.

  16. The protolobar structure of the human kidney: Its biologic and clinical significance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inke, G.

    1988-01-01

    This book depicts the uniqueness of each kidney as a result of the interaction of the process of nephronogenesis with the random variability of vascular channels within the bounds of a limited space. The fields of anatomy, developmental biology, comparative morphology, embryology, nephrology, pathology, physiology, radiology, and urologic surgery are treated

  17. A Successful ED Fall Risk Program Using the KINDER 1 Fall RiskAssessment Tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Townsend, Ann B; Valle-Ortiz, Marisol; Sansweet, Tracy

    2016-11-01

    Emergency nurses did not perform falls risk assessments routinely on our ED patients; the instrument used was aimed at inpatients. We identified a need to revise fall assessment practices specific to our emergency department. The purpose of the performance improvement project was to reduce ED falls and evaluate the use of an ED-specific fall risk tool, the KINDER 1 Fall Risk Assessment. The plan was to establish fall risk assessment practices at point of ED entry and to decrease total falls. We retrospectively reviewed ED fall data for each quarter of 2013, which included risk assessments scores, the total number of falls, and the circumstances of each fall. Using Kotter's framework to guide a successful change process, we implemented the KINDER 1 to assess fall risk. During the first 4 weeks of the project, 937 patients (27%) were identified as high risk for falls using the KINDER 1. During the subsequent 3 quarters, the total number of falls decreased; reported falls without injuries dropped from 0.21 to 0.07 per 1000 patients, and falls with injuries were reduced from 0.21 to 0.0 per 1000 patients. The results of this project represented a valuable step toward achieving our goal to keep ED patients safe from injuries as a result of falls. The findings add to the body of nursing knowledge on the application of clinical-based performance improvement projects to improve patient outcomes and to provide data on the use of the KINDER 1 tool, which has not been extensively tested. Copyright © 2016 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Test Review: Gilliam, J. E. (2015), "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Test" (2nd Ed) [Assessment Instrument]. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perdue, Elizabeth A.

    2016-01-01

    The "Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Test-Second Edition" (ADHDT-2) is published through Pro-Ed in Austin, Texas. It was formally published in 2014, following critical revisions of the ADHDT, the reportedly popular initial version of this test that was published in 1995. The ADHDT-2 purports to act as a screener for individuals…

  19. Improved Early Detection of Sepsis in the ED With a Novel Monocyte Distribution Width Biomarker.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crouser, Elliott D; Parrillo, Joseph E; Seymour, Christopher; Angus, Derek C; Bicking, Keri; Tejidor, Liliana; Magari, Robert; Careaga, Diana; Williams, JoAnna; Closser, Douglas R; Samoszuk, Michael; Herren, Luke; Robart, Emily; Chaves, Fernando

    2017-09-01

    Sepsis most often presents to the ED, and delayed detection is harmful. WBC count is often used to detect sepsis, but changes in WBC count size also correspond to sepsis. We sought to determine if volume increases of circulating immune cells add value to the WBC count for early sepsis detection in the ED. A blinded, prospective cohort study was conducted in two different ED populations within a large academic hospital. Neutrophil and monocyte volume parameters were measured in conjunction with routine CBC testing on a UniCel DxH 800 analyzer at the time of ED admission and were evaluated for the detection of sepsis. There were 1,320 subjects in the ED consecutively enrolled and categorized as control subjects (n = 879) and those with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (n = 203), infection (n = 140), or sepsis (n = 98). Compared with other parameters, monocyte distribution width (MDW) best discriminated sepsis from all other conditions (area under the curve [AUC], 0.79; 95% CI, 0.73-0.84; sensitivity, 0.77; specificity, 0.73; MDW threshold, 20.50), sepsis from SIRS (AUC, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.84), and severe sepsis from noninfected patients in the ED (AUC, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.75-0.99; negative predictive value, 99%). The added value of MDW to WBC count was statistically significant (AUC, 0.89 for MDW + WBC vs 0.81 for WBC alone; P sepsis compared with WBC count alone at the time of admission in the ED. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02232750; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov. Copyright © 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Exploring Older Adult ED Fall Patients' Understanding of Their Fall: A Qualitative Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shankar, Kalpana N; Taylor, Devon; Rizzo, Caroline T; Liu, Shan W

    2017-12-01

    We sought to understand older patients' perspectives about their fall, fall risk factors, and attitude toward emergency department (ED) fall-prevention interventions. We conducted semistructured interviews between July 2015 and January 2016 of community-dwelling, nondemented patients in the ED, who presented with a fall to an urban, teaching hospital. Interviews were halted once we achieve thematic saturation with the data coded and categorized into themes. Of the 63 patients interviewed, patients blamed falls on the environment, accidents, a medical condition, or themselves. Three major themes were generated: (1) patients blamed falls on a multitude of things but never acknowledged a possible multifactorial rationale, (2) patients have variable level of concerns regarding their current fall and future fall risk, and (3) patients demonstrated a range of receptiveness to ED interventions aimed at preventing falls but provided little input as to what those interventions should be. Many older patients who fall do not understand their fall risk. However, based on the responses provided, older adults tend to be more receptive to intervention and more concerned about their future fall risk, making the ED an appropriate setting for intervention.

  1. Mai alguses linastub dokfilm "Sinimäed" / Andris Feldmanis

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Feldmanis, Andris, 1982-

    2006-01-01

    Valminud on 6-osalise ajaloodokumentaalide sarja "Kuum külm sõda" teine film "Sinimäed" : stsenaristid Kiur Aarma, Mart Laar, Eerik-Niiles Kross, Raimo Jõerand : režissöör Raimo Jõerand : Ruut Pictures

  2. PM2.5-bound metal metabolic distribution and coupled lipid abnormality at different developmental windows.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ku, Tingting; Zhang, Yingying; Ji, Xiaotong; Li, Guangke; Sang, Nan

    2017-09-01

    Atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) is a serious threat to human health. As a toxicant constituent, metal leads to significant health risks in a population, but exposure to PM 2.5 -bound metals and their biological impacts are not fully understood. In this study, we determined the metal contents of PM 2.5 samples collected from a typical coal-burning city and then investigated the metabolic distributions of six metals (Zn, Pb, Mn, As, Cu, and Cd) following PM 2.5 inhalation in mice in different developmental windows. The results indicate that fine particles were mainly deposited in the lung, but PM 2.5 -bound metals could reach and gather in secondary off-target tissues (the lung, liver, heart and brain) with a developmental window-dependent property. Furthermore, elevations in triglycerides and cholesterol levels in sensitive developmental windows (the young and elderly stages) occurred, and significant associations between metals (Pb, Mn, As and Cd) and cholesterol in the heart, brain, liver and lung were observed. These findings suggest that PM 2.5 inhalation caused selective metal metabolic distribution in tissues with a developmental window-dependent property and that the effects were associated with lipid alterations. This provides a foundation for the underlying systemic toxicity following PM 2.5 exposure based on metal components. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. The potential adverse effect of energy drinks on executive functions in early adolescence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Batenburg-Eddes, T.; Lee, N.C.; Weeda, W.D.; Krabbendam, L.; Huizinga, Mariëtte

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Manufacturers of energy drinks (EDs) claim their products improve cognitive performance. Young adolescents are in a critical developmental phase. The impact of ED intake on their development is not yet clear. Therefore, we studied the associations of both caffeine intake and ED

  4. Connecting Teachers and Ed-Tech Developers: Lessons from NYC's "Gap App" Program. Technical Appendices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villavicencio, Adriana; Siman, Nina; Lafayette, Camille; Kang, David

    2016-01-01

    In 2011, with support from a federal Investing in Innovation grant, the NYC Department of Education launched Innovate NYC Schools. The initiative was designed to address two, related challenges to effectively integrating education technology (ed-tech) into classrooms: First, procurement of ed-tech tools is often hampered by a disconnect between…

  5. Two-Step Process for ED UTI Screening in Febrile Young Children: Reducing Catheterization Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavelle, Jane M; Blackstone, Mercedes M; Funari, Mary Kate; Roper, Christine; Lopez, Patricia; Schast, Aileen; Taylor, April M; Voorhis, Catherine B; Henien, Mira; Shaw, Kathy N

    2016-07-01

    Urinary tract infection (UTI) screening in febrile young children can be painful and time consuming. We implemented a screening protocol for UTI in a high-volume pediatric emergency department (ED) to reduce urethral catheterization, limiting catheterization to children with positive screens from urine bag specimens. This quality-improvement initiative was implemented using 3 Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, beginning with a small test of the proposed change in 1 ED area. To ensure appropriate patients received timely screening, care teams discussed patient risk factors and created patient-specific, appropriate procedures. The intervention was extended to the entire ED after providing education. Finally, visual cues were added into the electronic health record, and nursing scripts were developed to enlist family participation. A time-series design was used to study the impact of the 6-month intervention by using a p-chart to determine special cause variation. The primary outcome measure for the study was defined as the catheterization rate in febrile children ages 6 to 24 months. The ED reduced catheterization rates among febrile young children from 63% to UTIs among those followed within the hospital's network. A 2-step less-invasive process for screening febrile young children for UTI can be instituted in a high-volume ED without increasing length of stay or missing cases of UTI. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  6. GLI ERRORI DI ITALIANO L1 ED L2: INTERFERENZA E APPRENDIMENTO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosaria Solarino

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Si può oggi affrontare il tema degli errori di italiano da una prospettiva che possa giovare contemporaneamente a docenti di italiano L1 ed L2? Noi pensiamo di sì: la ricerca glottodidattica sembra aver ormai apprestato un terreno comune alle due situazioni di apprendimento, sgombrando il campo da vecchi pregiudizi e distinzioni che appaiono ormai superate. Attraverso la contrapposizione di concetti quali “lingua parlata/lingua scritta”,  “errori di lingua / errori di linguaggio”, “apprendimento spontaneo/apprendimento guidato”, “italiano L1/italiano L2”, “errori di apprendimento/errori di interferenza, si indicano diversi criteri per la interpretazione degli errori e la loro valutazione in relazione alle cause, alle situazioni comunicative, ai contesti o allo stadio di evoluzione dell’apprendimento della lingua.     Errors in italian L1 and L2: interference and learning   Can errors in Italian be approached in a way that benefits both L1 and L2 Italian teachers? We believe so: glottodidactic research seems to have prepared a common terrain for these two learning situations, clearing the field of old prejudices and obsolete distinctions.  Through the juxtaposition of concepts like “spoken language/written language”, “language errors/speech errors”, “spontaneous learning/guided learning”, “L1 Italian/L2 Italian”, “learning errors/interference errors”, different criteria for interpreting errors and evaluating them in relation to their causes, to communicative situations, to contexts and the developmental state in learning a language are singled out.

  7. The rise of photoresponsive protein technologies applications in vivo: a spotlight on zebrafish developmental and cell biology [version 1; referees: 2 approved

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renee Wei-Yan Chow

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The zebrafish (Danio rerio is a powerful vertebrate model to study cellular and developmental processes in vivo. The optical clarity and their amenability to genetic manipulation make zebrafish a model of choice when it comes to applying optical techniques involving genetically encoded photoresponsive protein technologies. In recent years, a number of fluorescent protein and optogenetic technologies have emerged that allow new ways to visualize, quantify, and perturb developmental dynamics. Here, we explain the principles of these new tools and describe some of their representative applications in zebrafish.

  8. EdF in the core of UK's nuclear industry... before expecting more

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moal, C.

    2008-01-01

    With the announcement at the end of September 2008 of EdF's friendly takeover bid on British Energy, the French group confirms its will of dominating the European nuclear industry before going back to the assault of the US market. Together, EdF and British Energy (owner of 8 NPPs (9.5 GW) and 1 coal-fired power plant (2 GW)) will make a turnover of 11.9 billion euro with 19800 employees and 85.6 TWh of production. Short paper. (J.S.)

  9. Metabolism in time and space – exploring the frontier of developmental biology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Krejčí, Alena; Tennessen, J. M.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 144, č. 18 (2017), s. 3193-3198 ISSN 0950-1991 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : metabolism * mitochondria * aerobic glycolysis Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Genetics and heredity (medical genetics to be 3) Impact factor: 5.843, year: 2016 http://dev.biologists.org/content/144/18/3193

  10. Murray Pittock, ed., The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Romanticism.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manfred Malzahn

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Murray Pittock, ed., The Edinburgh Companion to Scottish Romanticism. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2011. Pp. 251. ISBN 978-0-7486-3845-1 (hardback. £ 65.00. ISBN 978-0-7486-3846-8 (paperback. £ 21.99.

  11. 3D Bioprinting of Developmentally Inspired Templates for Whole Bone Organ Engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daly, Andrew C; Cunniffe, Gráinne M; Sathy, Binulal N; Jeon, Oju; Alsberg, Eben; Kelly, Daniel J

    2016-09-01

    The ability to print defined patterns of cells and extracellular-matrix components in three dimensions has enabled the engineering of simple biological tissues; however, bioprinting functional solid organs is beyond the capabilities of current biofabrication technologies. An alternative approach would be to bioprint the developmental precursor to an adult organ, using this engineered rudiment as a template for subsequent organogenesis in vivo. This study demonstrates that developmentally inspired hypertrophic cartilage templates can be engineered in vitro using stem cells within a supporting gamma-irradiated alginate bioink incorporating Arg-Gly-Asp adhesion peptides. Furthermore, these soft tissue templates can be reinforced with a network of printed polycaprolactone fibers, resulting in a ≈350 fold increase in construct compressive modulus providing the necessary stiffness to implant such immature cartilaginous rudiments into load bearing locations. As a proof-of-principal, multiple-tool biofabrication is used to engineer a mechanically reinforced cartilaginous template mimicking the geometry of a vertebral body, which in vivo supported the development of a vascularized bone organ containing trabecular-like endochondral bone with a supporting marrow structure. Such developmental engineering approaches could be applied to the biofabrication of other solid organs by bioprinting precursors that have the capacity to mature into their adult counterparts over time in vivo. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Developmental effects of prenatal irradiation. Entwicklungsstoerungen nach praenataler Bestrahlung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kriegel, H; Schmahl, W; Kistner, G; Stieve, F E

    1982-01-01

    This book is the result of a symposium which was organised jointly by the WHO and the department for nuclear biology of the Gesellschaft fuer Strahlen- und Umweltforschung (Society for Radiation- and Environmental Research) Neuherberg; the Institut fuer Strahlenhygiene (Institute for Radiation Hygiene) of the Federal Board of Health (Bundesgesundheitsamt), Neuherberg and the working group ''Radiation Biology'' in the ''Deutsche Roentgengesellschaft'' and took place in Neuherberg near Munich from the 26.-28. November 1980. Subjects dealt with the lectures were: Developmental disturbances caused by prenatal exposure to either external radiation or incorporation of radionuclides in the organism of the mother. Based on the prenatal radiation effects already known new experiences and new knowledge were reported on and show new consequences on peri- and postnatal development. Radiation effects of incorporated radionuclides include also questions of the biokinetics of radioactive substances at present the emphasis lies on diaplacental penetration. Questions of synergetic effects of radiation and diaplacentally penetrating chemical substances were discussed on the symposium as well. These subjects were also extensively dealt with in a panel discussion.

  13. Developmental toxicity and oxidative stress induced by gamma irradiation in zebrafish embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Miao; Hu, Nan; Ding, Dexin; Zhao, Weichao; Feng, Yongfu; Zhang, Hui; Li, Guangyue; Wang, Yongdong

    2016-11-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the biological effects of gamma irradiation on zebrafish embryos. Different doses of gamma rays (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 Gy) were used to irradiate zebrafish embryos at three developmental stages (stage 1, 6 h post-fertilization (hpf); stage 2, 12 hpf; stage three, 24 hpf), respectively. The survival, malformation and hatching rates of the zebrafish embryos were measured at the morphological endpoint of 96 hpf. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were assayed. Morphology analysis showed that gamma irradiation inhibited hatching and induced developmental toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, after irradiation the malformation rate changed not only in a dose-dependent manner but also in a developmental stage-dependent manner, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 1 were more sensitive to gamma rays than those at other stages. Biochemical analysis showed that gamma irradiation modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. A linear relationship was found between GPx activity and irradiation dose in 0.1-1 Gy group, and GPx was a suitable biomarker for gamma irradiation in the dose range from 0.1 to 1 Gy. Furthermore, the activities of SOD, CAT, GR and GPx of the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 were found to be much higher than those at other stages, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 had a greater ability to protect against gamma rays than those at other stages, and thus the activities of antioxidant enzymes changed in a developmental stage-dependent manner.

  14. Developmental toxicity and oxidative stress induced by gamma irradiation in zebrafish embryos

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hu, Miao; Hu, Nan; Ding, Dexin; Zhao, Weichao; Feng, Yongfu; Zhang, Hui; Li, Guangyue; Wang, Yongdong

    2016-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the biological effects of gamma irradiation on zebrafish embryos. Different doses of gamma rays (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 Gy) were used to irradiate zebrafish embryos at three developmental stages (stage 1, 6 h post-fertilization (hpf); stage 2, 12 hpf; stage three, 24 hpf), respectively. The survival, malformation and hatching rates of the zebrafish embryos were measured at the morphological endpoint of 96 hpf. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were assayed. Morphology analysis showed that gamma irradiation inhibited hatching and induced developmental toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, after irradiation the malformation rate changed not only in a dose-dependent manner but also in a developmental stage-dependent manner, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 1 were more sensitive to gamma rays than those at other stages. Biochemical analysis showed that gamma irradiation modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. A linear relationship was found between GPx activity and irradiation dose in 0.1-1 Gy group, and GPx was a suitable biomarker for gamma irradiation in the dose range from 0.1 to 1 Gy. Furthermore, the activities of SOD, CAT, GR and GPx of the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 were found to be much higher than those at other stages, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 had a greater ability to protect against gamma rays than those at other stages, and thus the activities of antioxidant enzymes changed in a developmental stage-dependent manner. (orig.)

  15. Developmental toxicity and oxidative stress induced by gamma irradiation in zebrafish embryos

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hu, Miao; Hu, Nan; Ding, Dexin; Zhao, Weichao; Feng, Yongfu; Zhang, Hui; Li, Guangyue; Wang, Yongdong [University of South China, Key Discipline Laboratory for National Defense for Biotechnology in Uranium Mining and Hydrometallurgy, Hengyang, Hunan Province (China)

    2016-11-15

    This study aimed to evaluate the biological effects of gamma irradiation on zebrafish embryos. Different doses of gamma rays (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 Gy) were used to irradiate zebrafish embryos at three developmental stages (stage 1, 6 h post-fertilization (hpf); stage 2, 12 hpf; stage three, 24 hpf), respectively. The survival, malformation and hatching rates of the zebrafish embryos were measured at the morphological endpoint of 96 hpf. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were assayed. Morphology analysis showed that gamma irradiation inhibited hatching and induced developmental toxicity in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, after irradiation the malformation rate changed not only in a dose-dependent manner but also in a developmental stage-dependent manner, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 1 were more sensitive to gamma rays than those at other stages. Biochemical analysis showed that gamma irradiation modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes in a dose-dependent manner. A linear relationship was found between GPx activity and irradiation dose in 0.1-1 Gy group, and GPx was a suitable biomarker for gamma irradiation in the dose range from 0.1 to 1 Gy. Furthermore, the activities of SOD, CAT, GR and GPx of the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 were found to be much higher than those at other stages, indicating that the zebrafish embryos at stage 3 had a greater ability to protect against gamma rays than those at other stages, and thus the activities of antioxidant enzymes changed in a developmental stage-dependent manner. (orig.)

  16. Developmental psychoneuroendocrine and psychoneuroimmune pathways from childhood adversity to disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuhlman, Kate Ryan; Chiang, Jessica J; Horn, Sarah; Bower, Julienne E

    2017-09-01

    Childhood adversity has been repeatedly and robustly linked to physical and mental illness across the lifespan. Yet, the biological pathways through which this occurs remain unclear. Functioning of the inflammatory arm of the immune system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis are both hypothesized pathways through which childhood adversity leads to disease. This review provides a novel developmental framework for examining the role of adversity type and timing in inflammatory and HPA-axis functioning. In particular, we identify elements of childhood adversity that are salient to the developing organism: physical threat, disrupted caregiving, and unpredictable environmental conditions. We propose that existing, well-characterized animal models may be useful in differentiating the effects of these adversity elements and review both the animal and human literature that supports these ideas. To support these hypotheses, we also provide a detailed description of the development and structure of both the HPA-axis and the inflammatory arm of the immune system, as well as recent methodological advances in their measurement. Recommendations for future basic, developmental, translational, and clinical research are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Developmental gene expression profiles of the human pathogen Schistosoma japonicum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    McManus Donald P

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The schistosome blood flukes are complex trematodes and cause a chronic parasitic disease of significant public health importance worldwide, schistosomiasis. Their life cycle is characterised by distinct parasitic and free-living phases involving mammalian and snail hosts and freshwater. Microarray analysis was used to profile developmental gene expression in the Asian species, Schistosoma japonicum. Total RNAs were isolated from the three distinct environmental phases of the lifecycle – aquatic/snail (eggs, miracidia, sporocysts, cercariae, juvenile (lung schistosomula and paired but pre-egg laying adults and adult (paired, mature males and egg-producing females, both examined separately. Advanced analyses including ANOVA, principal component analysis, and hierarchal clustering provided a global synopsis of gene expression relationships among the different developmental stages of the schistosome parasite. Results Gene expression profiles were linked to the major environmental settings through which the developmental stages of the fluke have to adapt during the course of its life cycle. Gene ontologies of the differentially expressed genes revealed a wide range of functions and processes. In addition, stage-specific, differentially expressed genes were identified that were involved in numerous biological pathways and functions including calcium signalling, sphingolipid metabolism and parasite defence. Conclusion The findings provide a comprehensive database of gene expression in an important human pathogen, including transcriptional changes in genes involved in evasion of the host immune response, nutrient acquisition, energy production, calcium signalling, sphingolipid metabolism, egg production and tegumental function during development. This resource should help facilitate the identification and prioritization of new anti-schistosome drug and vaccine targets for the control of schistosomiasis.

  18. Tracking developmentally regulated post-synthetic processing of homogalacturonan and chitin using reciprocal oligosaccharide probes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mravec, Jozef; Kračun, Stjepan K.; Rydahl, Maja G.

    2014-01-01

    Polysaccharides are major components of extracellular matrices and are often extensively modified post-synthetically to suit local requirements and developmental programmes. However, our current understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics and functional significance of these modifications is lim...... and animal systems. We demonstrated their potential for providing new biological insights by using them to study homogalacturonan processing during Arabidopsis thaliana root cap development and by analyzing sites of chitosan deposition in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons....

  19. The epidemiology of assault-related hospital in-patient admissions and ED attendances.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    O'Farrell, A

    2013-03-01

    The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology and impact of serious assault warranting in-patient care over six years and its impact on ED attendances in a large teaching hospital in Dublin over 2 years. There were 16,079 emergency assault-related inpatient hospital discharges reducing from 60.1 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 50.6 per 100,000 population in 2010. The median length of stay was 1 day (1-466) representing 49,870 bed days. The majority were young males (13,921, 86.6%; median age 26 years). Overall crime figures showed a similar reduction. However, knife crimes did not reduce over this period. Data on ED attendances confirmed the age and gender profile and also showed an increase at weekends. Alcohol misuse was recorded in 2,292\\/16079 (14%) of in-patient cases and 242\\/2484 (10%) in ED attendances. An inter-sectoral preventative approach specifically targeting knife crime is required to reduce this burden on health services.

  20. Effect of advanced age and vital signs on admission from an ED observation unit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caterino, Jeffrey M; Hoover, Emily M; Moseley, Mark G

    2013-01-01

    The primary objective was to determine the relationship between advanced age and need for admission from an emergency department (ED) observation unit. The secondary objective was to determine the relationship between initial ED vital signs and admission. We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of ED patients placed in an ED-based observation unit. Multivariable penalized maximum likelihood logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of need for hospital admission. Age was examined continuously and at a cutoff of 65 years or more. Vital signs were examined continuously and at commonly accepted cutoffs.We additionally controlled for demographics, comorbid conditions, laboratory values, and observation protocol. Three hundred patients were enrolled, 12% (n = 35) were 65 years or older, and 11% (n = 33) required admission. Admission rates were 2.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07%-14.9%) in older adults and 12.1% (95% CI, 8.4%-16.6%) in younger adults. In multivariable analysis, age was not associated with admission (odds ratio [OR], 0.30; 95% CI, 0.05-1.67). Predictors of admission included systolic pressure 180 mm Hg or greater (OR, 4.19; 95% CI, 1.08-16.30), log Charlson comorbidity score (OR, 2.93; 95% CI, 1.57-5.46), and white blood cell count 14,000/mm(3) or greater (OR, 11.35; 95% CI, 3.42-37.72). Among patients placed in an ED observation unit, age 65 years or more is not associated with need for admission. Older adults can successfully be discharged from these units. Systolic pressure 180 mm Hg or greater was the only predictive vital sign. In determining appropriateness of patients selected for an ED observation unit, advanced age should not be an automatic disqualifying criterion. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Past climate change on Sky Islands drives novelty in a core developmental gene network and its phenotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favé, Marie-Julie; Johnson, Robert A; Cover, Stefan; Handschuh, Stephan; Metscher, Brian D; Müller, Gerd B; Gopalan, Shyamalika; Abouheif, Ehab

    2015-09-04

    A fundamental and enduring problem in evolutionary biology is to understand how populations differentiate in the wild, yet little is known about what role organismal development plays in this process. Organismal development integrates environmental inputs with the action of gene regulatory networks to generate the phenotype. Core developmental gene networks have been highly conserved for millions of years across all animals, and therefore, organismal development may bias variation available for selection to work on. Biased variation may facilitate repeatable phenotypic responses when exposed to similar environmental inputs and ecological changes. To gain a more complete understanding of population differentiation in the wild, we integrated evolutionary developmental biology with population genetics, morphology, paleoecology and ecology. This integration was made possible by studying how populations of the ant species Monomorium emersoni respond to climatic and ecological changes across five 'Sky Islands' in Arizona, which are mountain ranges separated by vast 'seas' of desert. Sky Islands represent a replicated natural experiment allowing us to determine how repeatable is the response of M. emersoni populations to climate and ecological changes at the phenotypic, developmental, and gene network levels. We show that a core developmental gene network and its phenotype has kept pace with ecological and climate change on each Sky Island over the last ~90,000 years before present (BP). This response has produced two types of evolutionary change within an ant species: one type is unpredictable and contingent on the pattern of isolation of Sky lsland populations by climate warming, resulting in slight changes in gene expression, organ growth, and morphology. The other type is predictable and deterministic, resulting in the repeated evolution of a novel wingless queen phenotype and its underlying gene network in response to habitat changes induced by climate warming. Our

  2. Reading in developmental prosopagnosia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Starrfelt, Randi; Klargaard, Solja K; Petersen, Anders

    2018-01-01

    exposure durations (targeting the word superiority effect), and d) text reading. RESULTS: Participants with developmental prosopagnosia performed strikingly similar to controls across the four reading tasks. Formal analysis revealed a significant dissociation between word and face recognition......, that is, impaired reading in developmental prosopagnosia. METHOD: We tested 10 adults with developmental prosopagnosia and 20 matched controls. All participants completed the Cambridge Face Memory Test, the Cambridge Face Perception test and a Face recognition questionnaire used to quantify everyday face...... recognition experience. Reading was measured in four experimental tasks, testing different levels of letter, word, and text reading: (a) single word reading with words of varying length,(b) vocal response times in single letter and short word naming, (c) recognition of single letters and short words at brief...

  3. Male sexuality and regulation of emotions: a study on the association between alexithymia and erectile dysfunction (ED).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michetti, P M; Rossi, R; Bonanno, D; Tiesi, A; Simonelli, C

    2006-01-01

    Alexithymia is a multidimensional construct that describes a constellation of personality features characterised by difficulties in differentiating, identifying and communicating emotions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate prevalence of alexithymia in outpatients with erectile dysfunction (ED), both in the psychogenic lifelong type (PLED) and in the acquired one (PAED). ED severity was evaluated with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and alexithymia was measured using the Italian version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). The results suggest a high incidence of alexithymic characteristics in patients with psychogenic ED, a positive correlation between the alexithymia level and ED severity in patients with PAED and statistically significant differences in the alexithymia level between the two subgroups PLED and PAED. We assumed that alexithymia contributes to the origin of the PLED, and to a more severe manifestation of ED, once it appears in the acquired form.

  4. The female gametophyte: an emerging model for cell type-specific systems biology in plant development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc William Schmid

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Systems biology, a holistic approach describing a system emerging from the interactions of its molecular components, critically depends on accurate qualitative determination and quantitative measurements of these components. Development and improvement of large-scale profiling methods (omics now facilitates comprehensive measurements of many relevant molecules. For multicellular organisms, such as animals, fungi, algae, and plants, the complexity of the system is augmented by the presence of specialized cell types and organs, and a complex interplay within and between them. Cell type-specific analyses are therefore crucial for the understanding of developmental processes and environmental responses. This review first gives an overview of current methods used for large-scale profiling of specific cell types exemplified by recent advances in plant biology. The focus then lies on suitable model systems to study plant development and cell type specification. We introduce the female gametophyte of flowering plants as an ideal model to study fundamental developmental processes. Moreover, the female reproductive lineage is of importance for the emergence of evolutionary novelties such as an unequal parental contribution to the tissue nurturing the embryo or the clonal production of seeds by asexual reproduction (apomixis. Understanding these processes is not only interesting from a developmental or evolutionary perspective, but bears great potential for further crop improvement and the simplification of breeding efforts. We finally highlight novel methods, which are already available or which will likely soon facilitate large-scale profiling of the specific cell types of the female gametophyte in both model and non-model species. We conclude that it may take only few years until an evolutionary systems biology approach toward female gametogenesis may decipher some of its biologically most interesting and economically most valuable processes.

  5. 2003 annual results of EdF group; Resultats annuels 2003 du groupe EDF

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-03-01

    The Electricite de France (EdF) group Board of Directors, meeting on March 11, 2004, under the Chairmanship of Francois Roussely, reviewed the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended 12/31/2003. This document presents the consolidated results of EdF group for 2003: consolidated financial statements, highlights of the year, focus on 2003 events, commercial results, EDF in Europe and worldwide, EDF France highlights, key figures. (J.S.)

  6. [Efficacy of low-dose tadalafil on ED assessed by Self-Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Jing-Ping; Li, Fei; Guo, Wen-Bin; Zhou, Qi-Zhao; Liu, Cun-Dong; Mao, Xiang-Ming; Tan, Wan-Long; Zheng, Shao-Bin

    2010-12-01

    To explore the effects of low-dose oral tadalafil on self-esteem, confidence and sexual relationship in ED patients. We treated 17 ED patients with oral tadalafil at the low dose of 5 mg once daily for 12 weeks, and used the paired t test to compare their scores on The Self-Esteem and Relationship Questionnaire (SEAR) and IIEF-5 and the results of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) obtained by nocturnal electrobioimpedance volumetric assessment (NEVA) before and after the medication. The scores on SEAR and IIEF-5 were significantly increased (P P Low-dose oral tadalafil once daily can significantly improve the self-esteem, confidence, sexual relationship satisfaction and NPT of ED patients.

  7. Paid sick leave is associated with fewer ED visits among US private sector working adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhuyan, Soumitra S; Wang, Yang; Bhatt, Jay; Dismuke, S Edward; Carlton, Erik L; Gentry, Dan; LaGrange, Chad; Chang, Cyril F

    2016-05-01

    The United States (US) is the only developed country that does not guarantee short-term or longer-term paid sick leave. This study used a multiyear nationally representative database to examine the association between availability of paid sick leave and frequency of emergency department (ED) use among US private sector employees. We used the National Health Interview Survey data (2012-2014). The final study sample consists of 42,460 US adults between 18 and 64years of age and working in nongovernmental private sector. Our results suggest that availability of paid sick leave is significantly associated with lower likelihood of ED use, for both moderate (1-3 times/year) and repeated users (4 or more times/year). After controlling for confounding factors, respondents with paid sick leave are 14% less likely to be moderate ED users (adjusted odds ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.79-0.93) and 32% less likely to be repeated ED users (adjusted odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50-0.91). Although expansion of health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act has not been shown to reduce utilization of high cost health care services such as the ED, our study suggests other factors such as the availability of paid sick leave may do so, by allowing patients to seek care through other more cost-effective mechanisms (eg, primary care providers). To reduce ED utilization, health policymakers should consider alternative reforms including paid sick leave. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Early developmental characteristics and features of major depressive disorder among child psychiatric patients in Hungary.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapornai, Krisztina; Gentzler, Amy L; Tepper, Ping; Kiss, Eniko; Mayer, László; Tamás, Zsuzsanna; Kovacs, Maria; Vetró, Agnes

    2007-06-01

    We investigate the relations of early atypical characteristics (perinatal problems, developmental delay, and difficult temperament) and onset-age (as well as severity of) first major depressive disorder (MDD) and first internalizing disorder in a clinical sample of depressed children in Hungary. Participants were 371 children (ages 7-14) with MDD, and their biological mothers, recruited through multiple clinical sites. Diagnoses (via DSM-IV criteria) and onset dates of disorders were finalized "best estimate" psychiatrists, and based on multiple information sources. Mothers provided developmental data in a structured interview. Difficult temperament predicted earlier onset of MDD and first internalizing disorder, but its effect was ameliorated if the family was intact during early childhood. Further, the importance of difficult temperament decreased as a function of time. Perinatal problems and developmental delay did not impact onset ages of disorders, and none of the early childhood characteristics associated with MDD episode severity. Children with MDD may have added disadvantage of earlier onset if they had a difficult temperament in infancy. Because early temperament mirrors physiological reactivity and regulatory capacity, it can affect various areas of functioning related to psychopathology. Early caregiver stability may attenuate some adverse effects of difficult infant temperament.

  9. Adaptation of Lorke's method to determine and compare ED50 values: the cases of two anticonvulsants drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garrido-Acosta, Osvaldo; Meza-Toledo, Sergio Enrique; Anguiano-Robledo, Liliana; Valencia-Hernández, Ignacio; Chamorro-Cevallos, Germán

    2014-01-01

    We determined the median effective dose (ED50) values for the anticonvulsants phenobarbital and sodium valproate using a modification of Lorke's method. This modification allowed appropriate statistical analysis and the use of a smaller number of mice per compound tested. The anticonvulsant activities of phenobarbital and sodium valproate were evaluated in male CD1 mice by maximal electroshock (MES) and intraperitoneal administration of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). The anticonvulsant ED50 values were obtained through modifications of Lorke's method that involved changes in the selection of the three first doses in the initial test and the fourth dose in the second test. Furthermore, a test was added to evaluate the ED50 calculated by the modified Lorke's method, allowing statistical analysis of the data and determination of the confidence limits for ED50. The ED50 for phenobarbital against MES- and PTZ-induced seizures was 16.3mg/kg and 12.7mg/kg, respectively. The sodium valproate values were 261.2mg/kg and 159.7mg/kg, respectively. These results are similar to those found using the traditional methods of finding ED50, suggesting that the modifications made to Lorke's method generate equal results using fewer mice while increasing confidence in the statistical analysis. This adaptation of Lorke's method can be used to determine median letal dose (LD50) or ED50 for compounds with other pharmacological activities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Developmental toxicity of engineered nanomaterials in rodents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ema, Makoto, E-mail: ema-makoto@aist.go.jp; Gamo, Masashi; Honda, Kazumasa

    2016-05-15

    We summarized significant effects reported in the literature on the developmental toxicity of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in rodents. The developmental toxicity of ENMs included not only structural abnormalities, but also death, growth retardation, and behavioral and functional abnormalities. Most studies were performed on mice using an injection route of exposure. Teratogenic effects were indicated when multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), and TiO{sub 2}-nanoparticles were administered to mice during early gestation. Reactive oxygen species levels were increased in placentas and malformed fetuses and their placentas after prenatal exposure to MWCNTs and SWCNTs, respectively. The pre- and postnatal mortalities and growth retardation in offspring increased after prenatal exposure to ENMs. Histopathological and functional abnormalities were also induced in placentas after prenatal exposure to ENMs. Maternal exposure to ENMs induced behavioral alterations, histopathological and biochemical changes in the central nervous system, increased susceptibility to allergy, transplacental genotoxicity, and vascular, immunological, and reproductive effects in offspring. The size- and developmental stage-dependent placental transfer of ENMs was noted after maternal exposure. Silver accumulated in the visceral yolk sac after being injected with Ag-NPs during early gestation. Although currently available data has provided initial information on the potential developmental toxicity of ENMs, that on the developmental toxicity of ENMs is still very limited. Further studies using well-characterized ENMs, state-of the-art study protocols, and appropriate routes of exposure are required in order to clarify these developmental effects and provide information suitable for risk assessments of ENMs. - Highlights: • We review the developmental toxicity studies of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). • Various developmental endpoints have been

  11. New 'patent accelerated care environment' aims to facilitate work flow, free up ED for acute care needs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-01

    Faced with rising acuity levels and surging demand, Virginia Mason Medical Center modified the Clinical Decision Unit concept used in many EDs, and developed a new Patient Accelerated Care Environment (PACE) to care for observation patients, process patients for discharge, and to prepare patients for admission.The approach is designed to utilize ED beds for initial processing of patients, allowing resuscitative care if needed, and treating and releasing the patients with quick care needs. Using the Virginia Mason Production System, a methodology that is modeled after Toyota production techniques, developers designed an optimal work flow pattern and then built infrastructure to facilitate that process. All patients who present to the ED for care are seen by the ED team through a "team greet" approach. Approximately 35% to 40% of patients who come to the ED for care are transferred to the PACE unit. Patients assigned to the PACE unit typically remain there for 4 to 48 hours, depending on their care needs.

  12. Autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms: Towards new therapeutic perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sylvie eTordjman

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available There is a growing interest in the role of biological and behavioral rhythms in typical and atypical development. Recent studies in cognitive and developmental psychology have highlighted the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony of motor, emotional and relational rhythms in early development of social communication. The synchronization of rhythms allows tuning and adaptation to the external environment. The role of melatonin in the ontogenetic establishment of circadian rhythms and the synchronization of peripheral oscillators suggests that this hormone might be also involved in the synchrony of motor, emotional and relational rhythms. Autism provides a challenging model of physiological and behavioral rhythm disturbances and their possible effects on the development of social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors or interests. This article situates autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms and reviews the recent literature on the role of rhythmicity and synchrony of rhythms in child development. Finally, the hypothesis is developed that an integrated approach focusing on biological, motor, emotional and relational rhythms may open interesting therapeutic perspectives for children with autism. More specifically, promising avenues are discussed for potential therapeutic benefits in autism spectrum disorder of melatonin combined with developmental behavioral interventions that emphasize synchrony such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM.

  13. Autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms: toward new therapeutic perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tordjman, Sylvie; Davlantis, Katherine S; Georgieff, Nicolas; Geoffray, Marie-Maude; Speranza, Mario; Anderson, George M; Xavier, Jean; Botbol, Michel; Oriol, Cécile; Bellissant, Eric; Vernay-Leconte, Julie; Fougerou, Claire; Hespel, Anne; Tavenard, Aude; Cohen, David; Kermarrec, Solenn; Coulon, Nathalie; Bonnot, Olivier; Dawson, Geraldine

    2015-01-01

    There is a growing interest in the role of biological and behavioral rhythms in typical and atypical development. Recent studies in cognitive and developmental psychology have highlighted the importance of rhythmicity and synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms in early development of social communication. The synchronization of rhythms allows tuning and adaptation to the external environment. The role of melatonin in the ontogenetic establishment of circadian rhythms and the synchronization of the circadian clocks network suggests that this hormone might be also involved in the synchrony of motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms. Autism provides a challenging model of physiological and behavioral rhythm disturbances and their possible effects on the development of social communication impairments and repetitive behaviors and interests. This article situates autism as a disorder of biological and behavioral rhythms and reviews the recent literature on the role of rhythmicity and synchrony of rhythms in child development. Finally, the hypothesis is developed that an integrated approach focusing on biological, motor, emotional, and interpersonal rhythms may open interesting therapeutic perspectives for children with autism. More specifically, promising avenues are discussed for potential therapeutic benefits in autism spectrum disorder of melatonin combined with developmental behavioral interventions that emphasize synchrony, such as the Early Start Denver Model.

  14. Broad Categories for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (BCD-ED): An Alternative System for Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, B. Timothy; Sysko, Robyn

    2009-01-01

    Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS), a residual category in DSM-IV, is the most commonly used eating disorder diagnosis in clinical settings. However, the features of individuals with EDNOS are heterogeneous and difficult to characterize. A diagnostic scheme, termed Broad Categories for the Diagnosis of Eating Disorders (BCD-ED), is proposed to diminish use of the EDNOS category markedly while preserving the existing eating disorder categories. The BCD-ED scheme consists of three broad categories, in a hierarchical relationship, consisting of: Anorexia Nervosa and Behaviorally Similar disorders, Bulimia Nervosa and Behaviorally Similar Disorders, Binge Eating Disorder and Behaviorally Similar Disorders, and a residual category of EDNOS. The advantages and disadvantages of adopting this scheme for DSM-V are considered, and issues relevant to BCD-ED are discussed. Specifically, we review the proportion of individuals with DSM-IV EDNOS that would be re-classified under the BCD-ED system, support for the hierarchy of the three categories, and the potential risk of “overdiagnosis.” PMID:19650083

  15. Early Intervention in Children with Developmental Disabilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beena Johnson

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Developmental disabilities consist of conditions that delay or impair the physical, cognitive, and/or psychological development of children. If not intervened at the earliest, these disabilities will cause significant negative impact on multiple domains of functioning such as learning, language, self-care and capacity for independent living. Common developmental disabilities include autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, developmental delay and cerebral palsy. About one fourth of young children in developing countries are at risk for or have developmental delay or disabilities. Inadequate stimulation has significant negative impact on physical, socioemotional and cognitive development of children. Hence early scientific intervention programs are necessary in the management of children at risk for developmental delay.

  16. Developmental toxicity in white leghorn chickens following in ovo exposure to perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peden-Adams, M. M.; Stuckey, Joyce E.; Gaworecki, K.M.; Berger-Ritchie, J.; Bryant, K.; Jodice, P.G.; Scott, T.R.; Ferrario, J.B.; Guan, B.; Vigo, C.; Boone, J.S.; McGuinn, W.D.; DeWitt, J.C.; Keil, D.E.

    2009-01-01

    Studies show that perfluorinated compounds cause various toxicological effects; nevertheless, effects on immune function and developmental endpoints have not been addressed at length. This study examined the effects of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in white leghorn hatchlings on various developmental, immunological, and clinical health parameters. In addition, serum PFOS concentrations were determined by LC/MS/MS. Embryonic day (ED) 0 eggs were injected with either safflower oil/10% DMSO (control, 0 mg/kg egg wt) or PFOS in safflower oil/10% DMSO at 1, 2.5, or 5 mg/kg egg wt, and the chicks were grown to post-hatch day (PHD) 14. Treatment with PFOS did not affect hatch rate. Following in ovo exposure chicks exhibited increases in spleen mass at all treatment levels, in liver mass at 2.5 and 5 mg/kg egg wt, and in body length (crown-rump length) at the 5 mg/kg treatment. Right wings were shorter in all treatments compared to control. Increases in the frequency of brain asymmetry were evident in all treatment groups. SRBC-specific immunoglobulin (IgM and IgY combined) titers were decreased significantly at all treatment levels, while plasma lysozyme activity was increased at all treatment levels. The PHA skin test response decreased in relation to increasing PFOS dose. Serum concentrations where significant immunological, morphological, and neurological effects were observed at the lowest dose (1 mg/kg egg wt) averaged 154 ng PFOS/g serum. These concentrations fall within environmental ranges reported in blood samples from wild caught avian species; thereby, verifying that the environmental egg concentrations used for the injections do indeed relate to serum levels in hatchlings that are also environmentally relevant. These data indicate that immune alterations and brain asymmetry can occur in birds following in ovo exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of PFOS and demonstrates the need for further research on the developmental effects of

  17. Detection of glass particles on bone lesions using SEM-EDS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoriol, Romain; Guilbeau-Frugier, Céline; Chantalat, Elodie; Roumiguié, Mathieu; Delisle, Marie-Bernadette; Payré, Bruno; Telmon, Norbert; Savall, Frédéric

    2017-09-01

    The problem of identifying the wounding agent in forensic cases is recurrent. Moreover, when several tools are involved, distinguishing the origin of lesions can be difficult. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) equipment is increasingly available to the scientific and medical community, and some studies have reported its use in forensic anthropology. However, at our knowledge, no study has reported the use of SEM-EDS in forensic cases involving glass tools, whether in case reports or experiments. We performed an experimental study on human rib fragments, on which we manually created wounds using fragments of window and mirror glass. SEM-EDS was executed on samples without any further preparation on low vacuum mode, then on the same samples after defleshing them completely by boiling them. Window and mirror glass particles were detected on experimental wounds. Both had silica in their spectra, and the opaque side of the mirror contained titanium, allowing for their identification. Boiling and defleshing the bone samples involved a loss of information in terms of the number of wounds detected as positive for glass particles and in the number of glass particles detected, for both window and mirror glass. We suggest the analysis of wounds with suspected glass particles using low vacuum mode and with no defleshment by boiling.

  18. Molecular developmental biology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bogorad, L.

    1986-01-01

    This book contains nine chapters. The chapter titles are: Pathology of soft tissue sarcomas: Diagnostic strategy for adult soft tissue sarcomas: Staging of soft tissue sarcomas: Surgical treatment of soft tissue sarcomas: Radiotherapy; Chemotherapy in advanced soft tissue sarcomas: Adjuvant chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas; Intra-arterial infusion and perfusion chemotherapy for soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities; and Phase II new drug trials in soft tissue sarcomas

  19. Physical biology of human brain development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia eBudday

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Neurodevelopment is a complex, dynamic process that involves a precisely orchestrated sequence of genetic, environmental, biochemical, and physical events. Developmental biology and genetics have shaped our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms during neurodevelopment. Recent studies suggest that physical forces play a central role in translating these cellular mechanisms into the complex surface morphology of the human brain. However, the precise impact of neuronal differentiation, migration, and connection on the physical forces during cortical folding remains unknown. Here we review the cellular mechanisms of neurodevelopment with a view towards surface morphogenesis, pattern selection, and evolution of shape. We revisit cortical folding as the instability problem of constrained differential growth in a multi-layered system. To identify the contributing factors of differential growth, we map out the timeline of neurodevelopment in humans and highlight the cellular events associated with extreme radial and tangential expansion. We demonstrate how computational modeling of differential growth can bridge the scales-from phenomena on the cellular level towards form and function on the organ level-to make quantitative, personalized predictions. Physics-based models can quantify cortical stresses, identify critical folding conditions, rationalize pattern selection, and predict gyral wavelengths and gyrification indices. We illustrate that physical forces can explain cortical malformations as emergent properties of developmental disorders. Combining biology and physics holds promise to advance our understanding of human brain development and enable early diagnostics of cortical malformations with the ultimate goal to improve treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders including epilepsy, autism spectrum disorders, and schizophrenia.

  20. EdF speaks about economic advantages of fuel reprocessing as compared with interim storage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1997-01-01

    The French company Electricite de France (EdF) will prefer nuclear fuel reprocessing and plutonium recycling to spent fuel storage also in the years after 2000. This option is economically advantageous if the proportional cost of reprocessing does not exceed 1900 FRF/kg heavy metal. Economic analysis shows that this is feasible. EdF will soon have to reprocess annually about 1000 Mt spent fuel to supply enough plutonium for MOX fuel fabrication to feed as many as 28 PWR units and the Superphenix reactor. Spent fuel reprocessing is seen as promising as long as the efficiency of the MOX fuel approaches that of natural uranium based fuel. The French national industrial, political and legal context of EdF operations is also considered. (P.A.)

  1. Experts: to crack down on violence in the ED, establish a robust system of reporting, educating staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-09-01

    Researchers say that most ED personnel will experience some form of physical or verbal violence at some point in their careers. However, when such incidents are regularly reported, the patients involved can be flagged in a hospital's computer system, making future events involving the same patients much less likely. Further, when ED personnel are alert to the clues that a patient or family member is becoming agitated, early intervention can usually prevent the situation from escalating to violence. About one-half of all ED personnel will experience a physical assault, and 97%-100% will experience verbal abuse during their careers, according to research. A first step in developing a strategy for dealing with violence is to educate ED personnel about what constitutes workplace violence so that all such incidents can be reported. Experts say many ED workers fail to recognize some instances of violence, based on the intent of the person involved. However, intent should not be a factor, they say. In many cases, empathy and good customer service skills can prevent tense situations from escalating to violence, but experts say that it is important to intervene at the first sign of agitation. ED administrators should gather input from frontline staff on how to most effectively derail instances of violence.

  2. [Contemporary cognitive theories about developmental dyscalculia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Cañizares, D; Estévez-Pérez, N; Reigosa-Crespo, V

    To analyze the current theories describing the cognitive mechanisms underlying developmental dyscalculia. The four most researched hypotheses concerning the cognitive deficits related to developmental dyscalculia, as well as experimental evidences supporting or refusing them are presented. The first hypothesis states that developmental dyscalculia is consequence of domain general cognitive deficits. The second hypothesis suggests that it is due to a failure in the development of specialized brain systems dedicated to numerosity processing. The third hypothesis asserts the disorder is caused by a deficit in accessing quantity representation through numerical symbols. The last hypothesis states developmental dyscalculia appears as a consequence of impairments in a generalized magnitude system dedicated to the processing of continuous and discrete magnitudes. None of the hypotheses has been proven more plausible than the rest. Relevant issues rose by them need to be revisited and answered in the light of new experimental designs. In the last years the understanding of cognitive disorders involved in developmental dyscalculia has remarkably increased, but it is nonetheless insufficient. Additional research is required in order to achieve a comprehensive cognitive model of numerical processing development and its disorders. This will improve the diagnostic precision and the effectiveness of developmental dyscalculia intervention strategies.

  3. [Non-autistic pervasive developmental disorders: Rett syndrome, disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mercadante, M.T.; Gaag, R.J. van der; Schwartzman, J.S.

    2006-01-01

    The category "Pervasive Developmental Disorders" includes autistic disorder, Asperger's syndrome, Rett's syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and a residual category, named pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. In this review, Rett's syndrome and childhood disintegrative

  4. Application of SEM/EDS to environmental geochemistry of heavy metals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mateja Gosar

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Heavy metals represent a ubiquitous constituent of the near-surface environment, present in widely varyingconcentrations that typically have little impact on human behaviour and health. However, the mining of metals anduse of these metals in industrial processes has produced significant anthropogenic inputs of metals to both localand global environments. As such, a rigorous overview of the current accumulation of heavy metals and knowledgeof mineralogy of heavy metal-bearing phases is important for understanding their stability, solubility, mobility,bioavailability and toxicity. These data are of fundamental importance for environmental risk assessment and evaluationof future scenarios. Since conventional geochemical analyses provide limited information, other analyticalmethods have to be utilized for the characterisation of heavy metal-bearing phases. Significant analytical methodfor identification and characterisation of heavy metals in environmental media is a scanning electron microscopecoupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM/EDS, an apparatus for qualitative and semi-quantitative chemical analysis at microne level, newly introduced to Geological Survey of Slovenia. Use of SEM/EDS was already introduced to environmental studies world-wide. In Slovenia, SEM/EDS analyses of environmental media werefirstly carried out on the Meža River stream sediments and snow deposits from Ljubljana urban area.Heavy metal-bearing phases in the Meža River stream sediments were apportioned to three source areas: Mežica mining/smelting area (geogenic-technogenic origin, Ravne ironworks area (technogenic origin and the Meža River catchment area (geogenic origin, which corresponds to data obtained by conventional geochemical and multivariate statistical methods. Airborne particles, identified in urban snow deposits, were interpreted as geogenic particles, represented by fragments of heavy metal-bearing minerals, and technogenic particles that

  5. Life Span Developmental Approach

    OpenAIRE

    Ali Eryilmaz

    2011-01-01

    The Life Span Developmental Approach examines development of individuals which occurs from birth to death. Life span developmental approach is a multi-disciplinary approach related with disciplines like psychology, psychiatry, sociology, anthropology and geriatrics that indicates the fact that development is not completed in adulthood, it continues during the life course. Development is a complex process that consists of dying and death. This approach carefully investigates the development of...

  6. Eduard Strasburger (1844-1912): founder of modern plant cell biology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volkmann, Dieter; Baluška, František; Menzel, Diedrik

    2012-10-01

    Eduard Strasburger, director of the Botany Institute and the Botanical Garden at the University of Bonn from 1881 to 1912, was one of the most admirable scientists in the field of plant biology, not just as the founder of modern plant cell biology but in addition as an excellent teacher who strongly believed in "education through science." He contributed to plant cell biology by discovering the discrete stages of karyokinesis and cytokinesis in algae and higher plants, describing cytoplasmic streaming in different systems, and reporting on the growth of the pollen tube into the embryo sac and guidance of the tube by synergides. Strasburger raised many problems which are hot spots in recent plant cell biology, e.g., structure and function of the plasmodesmata in relation to phloem loading (Strasburger cells) and signaling, mechanisms of cell plate formation, vesicle trafficking as a basis for most important developmental processes, and signaling related to fertilization.

  7. What Is a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician?

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... social worker. Developmental-behavioral pediatricians work closely with parents, families, and schools. Developmental-behavioral pediatricians understand that children’s development and behavior happen first and foremost in the ...

  8. Current dichotomy between traditional molecular biological and omic research in cancer biology and pharmacology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reinhold, William C

    2015-12-10

    There is currently a split within the cancer research community between traditional molecular biological hypothesis-driven and the more recent "omic" forms or research. While the molecular biological approach employs the tried and true single alteration-single response formulations of experimentation, the omic employs broad-based assay or sample collection approaches that generate large volumes of data. How to integrate the benefits of these two approaches in an efficient and productive fashion remains an outstanding issue. Ideally, one would merge the understandability, exactness, simplicity, and testability of the molecular biological approach, with the larger amounts of data, simultaneous consideration of multiple alterations, consideration of genes both of known interest along with the novel, cross-sample comparisons among cell lines and patient samples, and consideration of directed questions while simultaneously gaining exposure to the novel provided by the omic approach. While at the current time integration of the two disciplines remains problematic, attempts to do so are ongoing, and will be necessary for the understanding of the large cell line screens including the Developmental Therapeutics Program's NCI-60, the Broad Institute's Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia, and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's Cancer Genome Project, as well as the the Cancer Genome Atlas clinical samples project. Going forward there is significant benefit to be had from the integration of the molecular biological and the omic forms or research, with the desired goal being improved translational understanding and application.

  9. Introducing the Collaborative E-Learning Design Method (CoED)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ryberg, Thomas; Buus, Lillian; Nyvang, Tom

    2015-01-01

    In this chapter, a specific learning design method is introduced and explained, namely the Collaborative E-learning Design method (CoED), which has been developed through various projects in “e-Learning Lab – Centre for User Driven Innovation, Learning and Design” (Nyvang & Georgsen, 2007). We br...

  10. Developmental Kindergarten Program Evaluation Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blois, George T.; Cushing, Katherine S.

    The evaluation of the Developmental Kindergarten (DK) Program at the Harrison School District #2, Colorado Springs, Colorado, involved pre- and post-testing of student academic gains and interviewing of principals and teachers. The program aimed to provide developmentally appropriate activities for students believed to be "at risk" of…

  11. Developmentally Appropriate Peace Education Curricula

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewsader, Joellen; Myers-Walls, Judith A.

    2017-01-01

    Peace education has been offered to children for decades, but those curricula have been only minimally guided by children's developmental stages and needs. In this article, the authors apply their research on children's developmental understanding of peace along with peace education principles and Vygotsky's sociocultural theory to present…

  12. Comparative developmental dermal toxicity and mutagenicity of carbazole and benzo[a]carbazole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dutson, S.M.; Booth, G.M.; Seegmiller, R.E.; Schaalje, G.B.; Castle, R.N.

    1997-01-01

    The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the developmental toxicity of carbazole and benzo[a]carbazole following daily dermal administration to female Sprague-Dawley rats on days 0 through 20 of gestation and (2) to determine the mutagenicity of these two compounds using a modified version of the Ames assay. These chemicals are of concern because they are found in a variety of environmental matrices including crude oil mixtures. No signs of maternal or developmental toxicity were considered to be related to dermal administration of carbazole at does of 2.5, 25.0, and 250.0 mg/kg. Signs of maternal toxicity considered to be related to administration of benzo[a]carbazole included significantly decreased body-weight gain and decreased absolute-food consumption at a dose of 250.0 mg/kg. Signs of developmental toxicity considered to be related to administration of benzo[a]carbazole included significantly decreased number of total (live and dead combined) and live pups on lactation day 0 as well as significantly decreased average pup weight on lactation days 0 and 4 at a dose of 250.0 mg/kg. Because developmental toxicity following benzo[a]carbazole treatment was observed only at a dose at which maternal toxicity was observed, it is likely that the effects on the offspring are secondary to the treatment effects on the dam. Evidence of toxic effects with benzo[a]carbazole in the absence of effects with carbazole suggests that the substituted benzene ring enhances the biological activity of this compound. Carbazole was nonmutagenic with or without S-9 activation, whereas benzo[a]carbazole showed a clear dose-response with S-9 activation. Without S-9 activation, benzo[a]carbazole was nonmutagenic. Apparently benzo[a]carbazole must be enzymatically activated in order to be mutagenic

  13. Developmental toxicology: adequacy of current methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, P W

    1998-01-01

    Toxicology embraces several disciplines such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity and reproductive toxicity. Reproductive toxicology is concerned with possible effects of substances on the reproductive process, i.e. on sexual organs and their functions, endocrine regulation, fertilization, transport of the fertilized ovum, implantation, and embryonic, fetal and postnatal development, until the end-differentiation of the organs is achieved. Reproductive toxicology is divided into areas related to male and female fertility, and developmental toxicology. Developmental toxicology can be further broken down into prenatal and postnatal toxicology. Today, much new information is available about the origins of developmental disorders resulting from chemical exposure. While these findings seem to promise important new developments in methodology and research, there is a danger of losing sight of the precepts and principles established in the light of existing knowledge. There is also a danger that we may fail to correct shortcomings in our existing procedures and practice. The aim of this presentation is to emphasize the importance of testing substances for their impact in advance of their use and to underline that we must use the best existing tools for carrying out risk assessments. Moreover, it needs to be stressed that there are many substances that are never assessed with respect to reproductive and developmental toxicity. Similarly, our programmes for post-marketing surveillance with respect to developmental toxicology are grossly inadequate. Our ability to identify risks to normal development and reproduction would be much improved, first if a number of straightforward precepts were always followed and second, if we had a clearer understanding of what we mean by risk and acceptable levels of risk in the context of development. Other aims of this paper are: to stress the complexity of the different stages of normal prenatal development; to note the principles that are

  14. Azione citodifferenziante ed antitumorale dell'acido ellagico

    OpenAIRE

    Vanella, Luca

    2011-01-01

    Il lavoro ha lo scopo di valutare l'effetto citodifferenziante ed antitumorale dell'acido ellagico in tre diverse linee cellulari prostatiche a diverso grado di invasivita' (DU145, LnCap, BPH1). I risultati della Cromogranina A e della P75 NGRF, ottenuti mediante immunofluorescenza, evidenziano un'azione citodifferenziante dell'acido ellagico in maniera dose dipendente. Inoltre i risultati dimostrano come l'acido ellagico abbia la capacita' di ridurre, in maniera dose dipendente, sia l'espres...

  15. Developmentalism: An Obscure but Pervasive Restriction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. E. Stone

    1996-04-01

    Full Text Available Despite continuing criticism of public education, experimentally demonstrated and field tested teaching methods have been ignored, rejected, and abandoned. Instead of a stable consensus regarding best teaching practices, there seems only an unending succession of innovations. A longstanding educational doctrine appears to underlie this anomalous state of affairs. Termed developmentalism, it presumes "natural" ontogenesis to be optimal and it requires experimentally demonstrated teaching practices to overcome a presumption that they interfere with an optimal developmental trajectory. It also discourages teachers and parents from asserting themselves with children. Instead of effective interventions, it seeks the preservation of a postulated natural perfection. Developmentalism's rich history is expressed in a literature extending over 400 years. Its notable exponents include Jean Jacques Rousseau, John Dewey, and Jean Piaget; and its most recent expressions include "developmentally appropriate practice" and "constructivism." In the years during which it gained ascendance, developmentalism served as a basis for rejecting harsh and inhumane teaching methods. Today it impedes efforts to hold schools accountable for student academic achievement.

  16. Developmental gene regulation during tomato fruit ripening and in-vitro sepal morphogenesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ishida Betty K

    2003-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Red ripe tomatoes are the result of numerous physiological changes controlled by hormonal and developmental signals, causing maturation or differentiation of various fruit tissues simultaneously. These physiological changes affect visual, textural, flavor, and aroma characteristics, making the fruit more appealing to potential consumers for seed dispersal. Developmental regulation of tomato fruit ripening has, until recently, been lacking in rigorous investigation. We previously indicated the presence of up-regulated transcription factors in ripening tomato fruit by data mining in TIGR Tomato Gene Index. In our in-vitro system, green tomato sepals cultured at 16 to 22°C turn red and swell like ripening tomato fruit while those at 28°C remain green. Results Here, we have further examined regulation of putative developmental genes possibly involved in tomato fruit ripening and development. Using molecular biological methods, we have determined the relative abundance of various transcripts of genes during in vitro sepal ripening and in tomato fruit pericarp at three stages of development. A number of transcripts show similar expression in fruits to RIN and PSY1, ripening-associated genes, and others show quite different expression. Conclusions Our investigation has resulted in confirmation of some of our previous database mining results and has revealed differences in gene expression that may be important for tomato cultivar variation. We present new and intriguing information on genes that should now be studied in a more focused fashion.

  17. Developmental Systems Theory and the Person-Oriented Approach. Commentary on: "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bergman, Lars R.

    2015-01-01

    Molenaar's (2015) article concerns Developmental Systems Theory (DST) in relation to behavior genetics and he presents implications of DST for empirical research, especially the need for subject-specific studies. In this commentary, the article is discussed from a broader developmental science perspective, particularly regarded through the lens of…

  18. Developmental plasticity: re-conceiving the genotype.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sultan, Sonia E

    2017-10-06

    In recent decades, the phenotype of an organism (i.e. its traits and behaviour) has been studied as the outcome of a developmental 'programme' coded in its genotype. This deterministic view is implicit in the Modern Synthesis approach to adaptive evolution as a sorting process among genetic variants. Studies of developmental pathways have revealed that genotypes are in fact differently expressed depending on environmental conditions. Accordingly, the genotype can be understood as a repertoire of potential developmental outcomes or norm of reaction. Reconceiving the genotype as an environmental response repertoire rather than a fixed developmental programme leads to three critical evolutionary insights. First, plastic responses to specific conditions often comprise functionally appropriate trait adjustments, resulting in an individual-level, developmental mode of adaptive variation. Second, because genotypes are differently expressed depending on the environment, the genetic diversity available to natural selection is itself environmentally contingent. Finally, environmental influences on development can extend across multiple generations via cytoplasmic and epigenetic factors transmitted to progeny individuals, altering their responses to their own, immediate environmental conditions and, in some cases, leading to inherited but non-genetic adaptations. Together, these insights suggest a more nuanced understanding of the genotype and its evolutionary role, as well as a shift in research focus to investigating the complex developmental interactions among genotypes, environments and previous environments.

  19. The Impact of Inpatient Boarding on ED Efficiency: A Discrete-Event Simulation Study

    OpenAIRE

    Bair, Aaron E.; Song, Wheyming T.; Chen, Yi-Chun; Morris, Beth A.

    2009-01-01

    In this study, a discrete-event simulation approach was used to model Emergency Department’s (ED) patient flow to investigate the effect of inpatient boarding on the ED efficiency in terms of the National Emergency Department Crowding Scale (NEDOCS) score and the rate of patients who leave without being seen (LWBS). The decision variable in this model was the boarder-released-ratio defined as the ratio of admitted patients whose boarding time is zero to all admitted patients. Our analysis sho...

  20. Family Life and Developmental Idealism in Yazd, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND This paper is motivated by the theory that developmental idealism has been disseminated globally and has become an international force for family and demographic change. Developmental idealism is a set of cultural beliefs and values about development and how development relates to family and demographic behavior. It holds that modern societies are causal forces producing modern families, that modern families help to produce modern societies, and that modern family change is to be expected. OBJECTIVE We examine the extent to which developmental idealism has been disseminated in Iran. We also investigate predictors of the dissemination of developmental idealism. METHODS We use survey data collected in 2007 from a sample of women in Yazd, a city in Iran. We examine the distribution of developmental idealism in the sample and the multivariate predictors of developmental idealism. RESULTS We find considerable support for the expectation that many elements of developmental idealism have been widely disseminated. Statistically significant majorities associate development with particular family attributes, believe that development causes change in families, believe that fertility reductions and age-at-marriage increases help foster development, and perceive family trends in Iran headed toward modernity. As predicted, parental education, respondent education, and income affect adherence to developmental idealism. CONCLUSIONS Developmental idealism has been widely disseminated in Yazd, Iran and is related to social and demographic factors in predicted ways. COMMENTS Although our data come from only one city, we expect that developmental idealism has been widely distributed in Iran, with important implications for family and demographic behavior.

  1. Unstandardized Responses to a "Standardized" Test: The edTPA as Gatekeeper and Curriculum Change Agent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledwell, Katherine; Oyler, Celia

    2016-01-01

    We examine edTPA (a teacher performance assessment) implementation at one private university during the first year that our state required this exam for initial teaching certification. Using data from semi-structured interviews with 19 teacher educators from 12 programs as well as public information on edTPA pass rates, we explore whether the…

  2. 29 CFR 1902.33 - Developmental period.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... consideration of developmental changes by OSHA. Generally, whenever a State completes a developmental step, it must submit the resulting plan change as a supplement to its plan to OSHA for approval. OSHA's approval...

  3. Genotoxic, cytotoxic, developmental and survival effects of tritiated water in the early life stages of the marine mollusc, Mytilus edulis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hagger, Josephine A. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Devon, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Atienzar, Franck A. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Devon, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Jha, Awadhesh N. [School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Devon, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: ajha@plymouth.ac.uk

    2005-09-10

    Using an integrated approach linking different levels of biological organisation, the genotoxic, cytotoxic, developmental and survival impact of tritiated water (HTO) were investigated in the embryo-larvae of marine mollusc Mytilus edulis. One-hour-old embryos were exposed to a range of concentrations (0.37-370 kBq ml{sup -1}) of HTO, which delivered a dose between 0.02 and 21.41 mGy over the exposure period for different end points. Detrimental effects, if any, were monitored at different levels of biological organisation (i.e. DNA, chromosomal, cellular and individual). Genotoxic effects were assessed using molecular and cytogenetic approaches which included analysis of random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), induction of sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) and chromosomal aberrations (Cabs). Cytotoxic effects were evaluated by determining the proliferative rate index (PRI) of the embryo-larval cells. Developmental and survival effects were also monitored every 24 h up to 72 h. Results in general indicated that HTO significantly increased cytogenetic damage, cytotoxicity, developmental abnormalities and mortality of the embryo-larvae as a function of concentration or radiation dose. The analysis of RAPD profiles also revealed qualitative effects in the HTO exposed population compared to controls. However, while the embryo-larvae showed dose or concentration dependent effects for mortality, developmental abnormalities and induction of SCEs, the dose-dependent effects were not apparent for Cabs and PRI at higher doses. The study contributes to our limited understanding of the impact of environmentally relevant radionuclides on non-human biota and emphasises the need for further investigations to elucidate potentially long term damage induced by persistent, low levels of other radionuclides on commercially and ecologically important species, in order to protect human and ecosystem health.

  4. Integrated Canada-U.S. Power Sector Modeling with the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez, A.; Eurek, K.; Mai, T.; Perry, A.

    2013-02-01

    The electric power system in North America is linked between the United States and Canada. Canada has historically been a net exporter of electricity to the United States. The extent to which this remains true will depend on the future evolution of power markets, technology deployment, and policies. To evaluate these and related questions, we modify the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) model to include an explicit representation of the grid-connected power system in Canada to the continental United States. ReEDS is unique among long-term capacity expansion models for its high spatial resolution and statistical treatment of the impact of variable renewable generation on capacity planning and dispatch. These unique traits are extended to new Canadian regions. We present example scenario results using the fully integrated Canada-U.S. version of ReEDS to demonstrate model capabilities. The newly developed, integrated Canada-U.S. ReEDS model can be used to analyze the dynamics of electricity transfers and other grid services between the two countries under different scenarios.

  5. Should we fear "flu fear" itself? Effects of H1N1 influenza fear on ED use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonnell, William M; Nelson, Douglas S; Schunk, Jeff E

    2012-02-01

    Surges in patient volumes compromise emergency departments' (EDs') ability to deliver care, as shown by the recent H1N1 influenza (flu) epidemic. Media reports are important in informing the public about health threats, but the effects of media-induced anxiety on ED volumes are unclear. The aim of this study is to examine the effect of widespread public concern about flu on ED use. We reviewed ED data from an integrated health system operating 18 hospital EDs. We compared ED visits during three 1-week periods: (a) a period of heightened public concern regarding flu before the disease was present ("Fear Week"), (b) a subsequent period of active disease ("Flu Week"), and (c) a week before widespread concern ("Control Week"). Fear Week was identified from an analysis of statewide Google electronic searches for "swine flu" and from media announcements about flu. Flu Week was identified from statewide epidemiological data. Data were reviewed from 22 608 visits during the study periods. Fear Week (n = 7712) and Flu Week (n = 7687) were compared to Control Week (n = 7209). Fear Week showed a 7.0% increase in visits (95% confidence interval, 6-8). Pediatric visits increased by 19.7%, whereas adult visits increased by 1%. Flu Week showed an increase over Control Week of 6.6% (95% confidence interval, 6-7). Pediatric visits increased by 10.6%, whereas adult visits increased by 4.8%. At a time of heightened public concern regarding flu but little disease prevalence, EDs experienced substantial increases in patient volumes. These increases were significant and comparable to the increases experienced during the subsequent epidemic of actual disease. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Use of a midstream clean catch mobile application did not lower urine contamination rates in an ED.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacob, Mary S; Kulie, Paige; Benedict, Cameron; Ordoobadi, Alexander J; Sikka, Neal; Steinmetz, Erika; McCarthy, Melissa L

    2018-01-01

    Urine microscopy is a common test performed in emergency departments (EDs). Urine specimens can easily become contaminated by different factors, including the collection method. The midstream clean-catch (MSCC) collection technique is commonly used to reduce urine contamination. The urine culture contamination rate from specimens collected in our ED is 30%. We developed an instructional application (app) to show ED patients how to provide a MSCC urine sample. We hypothesized that ED patients who viewed our instructional app would have significantly lower urine contamination rates compared to patients who did not. We prospectively enrolled 257 subjects with a urinalysis and/or urine culture test ordered in the ED and asked them to watch our MSCC instructional app. After prospective enrollment was complete, we retrospectively matched each enrolled subject to an ED patient who did not watch the instructional app. Controls were matched to cases based on gender, type of urine specimen provided, ED visit date and shift. Urinalysis and urine culture contamination results were compared between the matched pairs using McNemar's test. The overall urine culture contamination rate of the 514 subjects was 38%. The majority of the matched pairs had a urinalysis (63%) or urinalysis plus urine culture (35%) test done. There were no significant differences in our urine contamination rates between the matched pairs overall or when stratified by gender, by prior knowledge of the clean catch process or by type of urine specimen. We did not see a lower contamination rate for patients who viewed our instructional app compared to patients who did not. It is possible that MSCC is not effective for decreasing urine specimen contamination. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Poor Dietary Guidelines Compliance among Low-Income Women Eligible for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinyoung Jun

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed program aims to improve nutritional intakes of low-income individuals (<185% poverty threshold. The objective of this study was to describe the compliance with Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA recommendations for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains among SNAP-Ed eligible (n = 3142 and ineligible (n = 3168 adult women (19–70 years nationwide and SNAP-Ed participating women in Indiana (n = 2623, using the NHANES 2007–2012 and Indiana SNAP-Ed survey data, respectively. Sensitivity analysis further stratified women by race/ethnicity and by current SNAP participation (<130% poverty threshold. Nationally, lower-income women were less likely to meet the fruit (21% vs. 25% and vegetable (11% vs. 19% guidelines than higher-income women, but did not differ on whole grains, which were ~5% regardless of income. The income differences in fruit and vegetable intakes were driven by non-Hispanic whites. Fewer SNAP-Ed-eligible U.S. women met fruit (21% vs. 55% and whole grain (4% vs. 18% but did not differ for vegetable recommendations (11% vs. 9% when compared to Indiana SNAP-Ed women. This same trend was observed among current SNAP participants. Different racial/ethnic group relationships with DGA compliance were found in Indiana compared to the nation. Nevertheless, most low-income women in the U.S. are at risk of not meeting DGA recommendations for fruits (79%, vegetables (89%, and whole grains (96%; SNAP-Ed participants in Indiana had higher compliance with DGA recommendations. Increased consumption of these three critical food groups would improve nutrient density, likely reduce calorie consumption by replacing high calorie choices, and improve fiber intakes.

  8. A new e-learning platform for radiology education (RadEd).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiberta, Pau; Boada, Imma

    2016-04-01

    One of the key elements of e-learning platforms is the content provided to the students. Content creation is a time demanding task that requires teachers to prepare material taking into account that it will be accessed on-line. Moreover, the teacher is restricted by the functionalities provided by the e-learning platforms. In contexts such as radiology where images have a key role, the required functionalities are still more specific and difficult to be provided by these platforms. Our purpose is to create a framework to make teacher's tasks easier, specially when he has to deal with contents where images have a main role. In this paper, we present RadEd, a new web-based teaching framework that integrates a smart editor to create case-based exercises that support image interaction such as changing the window width and the grey scale used to render the image, taking measurements on the image, attaching labels to images and selecting parts of the images, amongst others. It also provides functionalities to prepare courses with different topics, exercises and theory material, and also functionalities to control students' work. Different experts have used RadEd and all of them have considered it a very useful and valuable tool to prepare courses where radiological images are the main component. RadEd provides teachers functionalities to prepare more realistic cases and students the ability to make a more specific diagnosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The quest for a new modelling framework in mathematical biology. Comment on "On the interplay between mathematics and biology: Hallmarks towards a new systems biology" by N. Bellomo et al.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eftimie, Raluca

    2015-03-01

    One of the main unsolved problems of modern physics is finding a "theory of everything" - a theory that can explain, with the help of mathematics, all physical aspects of the universe. While the laws of physics could explain some aspects of the biology of living systems (e.g., the phenomenological interpretation of movement of cells and animals), there are other aspects specific to biology that cannot be captured by physics models. For example, it is generally accepted that the evolution of a cell-based system is influenced by the activation state of cells (e.g., only activated and functional immune cells can fight diseases); on the other hand, the evolution of an animal-based system can be influenced by the psychological state (e.g., distress) of animals. Therefore, the last 10-20 years have seen also a quest for a "theory of everything"-approach extended to biology, with researchers trying to propose mathematical modelling frameworks that can explain various biological phenomena ranging from ecology to developmental biology and medicine [1,2,6]. The basic idea behind this approach can be found in a few reviews on ecology and cell biology [6,7,9-11], where researchers suggested that due to the parallel between the micro-scale dynamics and the emerging macro-scale phenomena in both cell biology and in ecology, many mathematical methods used for ecological processes could be adapted to cancer modelling [7,9] or to modelling in immunology [11]. However, this approach generally involved the use of different models to describe different biological aspects (e.g., models for cell and animal movement, models for competition between cells or animals, etc.).

  10. Developmental principles: fact or fiction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Durston, A J

    2012-01-01

    While still at school, most of us are deeply impressed by the underlying principles that so beautifully explain why the chemical elements are ordered as they are in the periodic table, and may wonder, with the theoretician Brian Goodwin, "whether there might be equally powerful principles that account for the awe-inspiring diversity of body forms in the living realm". We have considered the arguments for developmental principles, conclude that they do exist and have specifically identified features that may generate principles associated with Hox patterning of the main body axis in bilaterian metazoa in general and in the vertebrates in particular. We wonder whether this exercise serves any purpose. The features we discuss were already known to us as parts of developmental mechanisms and defining developmental principles (how, and at which level?) adds no insight. We also see little profit in the proposal by Goodwin that there are principles outside the emerging genetic mechanisms that need to be taken into account. The emerging developmental genetic hierarchies already reveal a wealth of interesting phenomena, whatever we choose to call them.

  11. Predicting the risk of developmental toxicity from in vitro assays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spielmann, Horst

    2005-01-01

    Reproductive toxicity refers to the adverse effects of a substance on any aspect of the reproductive cycle, including the impairment of reproductive function, the induction of adverse effects in the embryo, such as growth retardation, malformations, and death. Due to the complexity of the mammalian reproductive cycle, it is impossible to model the whole cycle in a single in vitro system in order to detect chemical effects on mammalian reproduction. However, the cycle can be broken down in its biological components which may be studied individually or in combination. This approach has the advantage that the target tissue/organ of a developmental toxicant can be identified. In specific areas of developmental toxicity, a number of useful and promising in vitro models are already available. The individual tests may be used as building blocks of a tiered testing strategy. So far, research has focused on developing and validating tests covering only a few components of the reproductive cycle, in particular organogenesis of the embryo, reflecting important concerns for teratogenic chemicals. During the last three decades, a number of established models and promising new developments have emerged that will be discussed, e.g. culture of mammalian embryos and embryonic cells and tissues and the use of embryonic stem cells

  12. The Developmental Work

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Niels; Hvid, Helge

    2001-01-01

    AbstractIn the nineties, the concept of the developmental work (DW) has become a significant point of orientation for the actors on Danish labour market. The DW has moved the focus of the labour market from wages and working time towards work and production. For employees, the DW promises...... developmental possibilities, influence and responsibility, but also greater social responsibility for the firm. For firms, the DW promises increased competitiveness and better products. In this paper we present the concept of the DW as one which encourages the development of work, production and organisation...... of the firm and show that the DW is different from mainstream management concepts, as the DW...

  13. Future Directions in Sleep and Developmental Psychopathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meltzer, Lisa J

    2017-01-01

    It is critical for psychologists to gain a better understanding about the intersection between sleep and developmental psychopathology. However, while many strive to answer the question of whether sleep causes developmental psychopathology, or vice versa, ultimately the relationship between sleep and developmental psychopathology is complex and dynamic. This article considers future directions in the field of clinical child and adolescent psychology that go beyond this mechanistic question, highlighting areas important to address for clinicians and researchers who strive to better understand how best to serve children and adolescents with developmental psychopathology. Questions are presented about what is normal in terms of sleep across development, the role of individual variability in terms of sleep needs and vulnerability to sleep loss, and how sleep may serve as a risk or resilience factor for developmental psychopathology, concluding with considerations for interventions.

  14. Author's Response to Commentaries on: "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molenaar, Peter C. M.

    2015-01-01

    In this article, Peter Molenaar responds to three commentaries (this issue) on his article, "An Interpretation of Part of Gilbert Gottlieb's Legacy: Developmental Systems Theory Contra Developmental Behavior Genetics." He addresses aspects of relational developmental systems (RDS) mentioned and questions raised in each of the…

  15. DEVELOPMENTAL TAXONOMY OF CONDUCT DISORDER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jelena Kostić

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Conduct disorder is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of etiology, course and prognosis, and currently, there is no singular model that would describe the development of the disorder. The results of empirical research on males confirm this heterogeneity, as they point out to two possible developmental pathways: childhood-onset and adolescentonset type. This paper presents the basic elements of developmental taxonomic theory which argues that there are two different developmental pathways to conduct disorder which have different causes and serve as the basis for the current typology of conduct disorders in the classification systems. Such a typology of conduct disorders in the diagnostic classification allows better understanding, prognosis and choice of treatment.

  16. Open digital badges in Open edX

    OpenAIRE

    Hickey, Daniel T.; Barba, Lorena A.; Lemoie, Kerri; Amigot, Michael; Ewens, Damian

    2014-01-01

    Slides for the presentation at the Open edX Conference, Cambridge, MA 2014.   This talk presented the first public update of our collaboration to implement open digital badges in Dr. Barba's new MOOC, "Practical Numerical Methods with Python." It's a collaboration between Indiana University's Center for Research on Learning and Technology (led by Prof. Daniel T. Hickey);  Prof. Lorena Barba and her team at George Washington University, with her partners at IBL Studios Education, and...

  17. Social phobia in developmental period: From theory to therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kolar Dušan

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The contemporary integrative theoretical and therapeutic concepts of social phobia in developmental period have been presented in the study. Besides current neurobiological theories, a very important hypothesis about behavioral inhibition has been represented as a predisposition of social phobia. The cognitive-behavioral theories of social phobia are dominant among psychological theories. The integrative concept of social phobia is the most realistic approach to this disorder and the bridge between biological and psychological theories. The interaction between biological and psychological etiological factors is represented through different therapeutical approaches to social phobia. Therapy of social phobia is integrative and involves different therapeutical modalities in different phases of therapy. In integrative psychotherapy, we use cognitive-behavioral therapy, dynamic oriented supportive psychotherapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy and phenomenological-existential psychotherapy. The cognitive-behavioral therapy yields the best results. The medicaments in use are the following: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mono-amine oxidase inhibitors, high-potency benzodiazepines, new antiepileptic drugs and rarely (3-blockers. The combination of integrative psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is the most optimal therapeutic approach to social phobia. This integrative and to patient adapted treatment will produce the best results in management of children's and adolescent's social phobia.

  18. Knowledge Gaps in Rodent Pancreas Biology: Taking Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Pancreatic Beta Cells into Our Own Hands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santosa, Munirah Mohamad; Low, Blaise Su Jun; Pek, Nicole Min Qian; Teo, Adrian Kee Keong

    2015-01-01

    In the field of stem cell biology and diabetes, we and others seek to derive mature and functional human pancreatic β cells for disease modeling and cell replacement therapy. Traditionally, knowledge gathered from rodents is extended to human pancreas developmental biology research involving human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). While much has been learnt from rodent pancreas biology in the early steps toward Pdx1(+) pancreatic progenitors, much less is known about the transition toward Ngn3(+) pancreatic endocrine progenitors. Essentially, the later steps of pancreatic β cell development and maturation remain elusive to date. As a result, the most recent advances in the stem cell and diabetes field have relied upon combinatorial testing of numerous growth factors and chemical compounds in an arbitrary trial-and-error fashion to derive mature and functional human pancreatic β cells from hPSCs. Although this hit-or-miss approach appears to have made some headway in maturing human pancreatic β cells in vitro, its underlying biology is vaguely understood. Therefore, in this mini-review, we discuss some of these late-stage signaling pathways that are involved in human pancreatic β cell differentiation and highlight our current understanding of their relevance in rodent pancreas biology. Our efforts here unravel several novel signaling pathways that can be further studied to shed light on unexplored aspects of rodent pancreas biology. New investigations into these signaling pathways are expected to advance our knowledge in human pancreas developmental biology and to aid in the translation of stem cell biology in the context of diabetes treatments.

  19. The Relationship Between the Use of a Worksite Medical Home and ED Visits or Hospitalizations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marissa Stroo BS

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Worksite medical homes may be a good model for improving employee health. The aim of this study was to compare the likelihood of being seen in the emergency department (ED or being hospitalized by level of use (no use, occasional use, or primary care of a worksite medical home, overall and by type of user (employee, adult dependent, or pediatric dependent. This was a retrospective analysis of claims data, using covariate-adjusted logistic regression models for ED visits and inpatient hospitalizations. Secondary data for the years 2006 to 2008 from a company that offers an on-site health care center (HCC were used. Analyses were based on a data set that combines health plan claims and human resources demographic data. Overall, people who did not use the HCC were more likely to be seen in the ED (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval or CI [1.06, 1.37], P = .005 or to be hospitalized (adjusted OR = 1.58; 95% CI [1.34, 1.86]; P < .0001 compared with those who used the HCC for primary care. Both ED visits and hospitalizations for employees and dependents in this study were lower among those who used the worksite medical home for primary care. Worksite medical homes can improve chronic disease management and thus reduce ED visits and hospitalizations. These findings contribute to growing evidence that worksite medical homes are potentially cost-effective.

  20. Why a disaster is not just normal business ramped up: Disaster response among ED nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammad, Karen S; Arbon, Paul; Gebbie, Kristine; Hutton, Alison

    2017-11-15

    The emergency department (ED) is a familiar place for the emergency nurse who spends their working days inside it. A disaster threatens that familiarity and creates changes that make working in the ED during a disaster response different from the everyday experience of working in the ED. This research reports on an aspect of the findings from a larger study about the experience of working as a nurse in the ED during a disaster response. Thirteen nurses from 8 different countries were interviewed about their experience. The findings from this research demonstrate that a disaster event leads to a chain reaction of changes in process, space and practice. Nurses' respond to the news of a disaster event with shock and disbelief. The ED may change as a result of the event requiring nurses to work in an altered environment or a completely different setting. These changes provoke nurses to alter their behaviour and practice and reflect on the experience after the response. Emergency nurses have a high likelihood of participating in disaster response and as such should be adequately prepared. This highlights how disaster response is different and leads to recommendations to enhance training for emergency nurses which will better prepare them Disasterresponse is not normal business ramped up. There are a number of challenges and changes that should be considered when preparing emergency nurses for the realities of disaster response. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. All rights reserved.