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Atypical Cristae Morphology of Human Syncytiotrophoblast Mitochondria
De Los Rios Castillo, Daniela; Zarco-Zavala, Mariel; Olvera-Sanchez, Sofia; Pardo, Juan Pablo; Juarez, Oscar; Martinez, Federico; Mendoza-Hernandez, Guillermo; García-Trejo, José J.; Flores-Herrera, Oscar
Mitochondrial complexes I, III2, and IV from human cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast associate to form supercomplexes or respirasomes, with the following stoichiometries: I1:(III2)1 and I1:(III2)1–2:IV1–4. The content of respirasomes was similar in both cell types after isolating mitochondria. However, syncytiotrophoblast mitochondria possess low levels of dimeric complex V and do not have orthodox cristae morphology. In contrast, cytotrophoblast mitochondria show normal cristae morphology and a higher content of ATP synthase dimer. Consistent with the dimerizing role of the ATPase inhibitory protein (IF1) (García, J. J., Morales-Ríos, E., Cortés-Hernandez, P., and Rodríguez-Zavala, J. S. (2006) Biochemistry 45, 12695–12703), higher relative amounts of IF1 were observed in cytotrophoblast when compared with syncytiotrophoblast mitochondria. Therefore, there is a correlation between dimerization of complex V, IF1 expression, and the morphology of mitochondrial cristae in human placental mitochondria. The possible relationship between cristae architecture and the physiological function of the syncytiotrophoblast mitochondria is discussed. PMID:21572045
Punicalagin promotes autophagy to protect primary human syncytiotrophoblasts from apoptosis.
Wang, Ying; Chen, Baosheng; Longtine, Mark S; Nelson, D Michael
Punicalagin is a prominent polyphenol in pomegranate juice that protects cultured syncytiotrophoblasts from stress-induced apoptosis. Here, we test the hypothesis that punicalagin has this effect by inhibiting the mTOR kinase pathway to enhance autophagic turnover and limit apoptosis in cultured primary human syncytiotrophoblasts. In syncytiotrophoblasts, starvation, rapamycin, or punicalagin all decreased the expression of phosphorylated ribosomal protein S6, a downstream target of the mTOR kinase, and of the autophagy markers, LC3-II and p62. In contrast, in the presence of bafilomycin, an inhibitor of late stages of autophagy and degradation in the autophagolysosome, syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to starvation, rapamycin, or punicalagin all showed increased levels of LC3-II and p62. The number of LC3-II punctae also increased in punicalagin-treated syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to chloroquine, another inhibitor of autophagic degradation, and punicalagin increased the number of lysosomes. The apoptosis-reducing effect of punicalagin was attenuated by inhibition of autophagy using bafilomycin or knockdown of the autophagy related gene, ATG16L1. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that punicalagin modulates the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis to promote survival in cultured syncytiotrophoblasts. PMID:26659860
Studies of the dynamics of nuclear clustering in human syncytiotrophoblast.
Calvert, S J; Longtine, M S; Cotter, S; Jones, C J P; Sibley, C P; Aplin, J D; Nelson, D M; Heazell, A E P
Syncytial nuclear aggregates (SNAs), clusters of nuclei in the syncytiotrophoblast of the human placenta, are increased as gestation advances and in pregnancy pathologies. The origins of increased SNAs are unclear; however, a better appreciation of the mechanism may give insight into placental ageing and factors underpinning dysfunction. We developed three models to investigate whether SNA formation results from a dynamic process of nuclear movement and to generate alternative hypotheses. SNA count and size were measured in placental explants cultured over 16 days and particles released into culture medium were quantified. Primary trophoblasts were cultured for 6 days. Explants and trophoblasts were cultured with and without cytoskeletal inhibitors. An in silico model was developed to examine the effects of modulating nuclear behaviour on clustering. In explants, neither median SNA number (108 SNA/mm(2) villous area) nor size (283 μm(2)) changed over time. Subcellular particles from conditioned culture medium showed a wide range of sizes that overlapped with those of SNAs. Nuclei in primary trophoblasts did not change position relative to other nuclei; apparent movement was associated with positional changes of the syncytial cell membrane. In both models, SNAs and nuclear clusters were stable despite pharmacological disruption of cytoskeletal activity. In silico, increased nuclear movement, adhesiveness and sites of cytotrophoblast fusion were related to nuclear clustering. The prominence of SNAs in pregnancy disorders may not result from an active process involving cytoskeleton-mediated rearrangement of syncytial nuclei. Further insights into the mechanism(s) of SNA formation will aid understanding of their increased presence in pregnancy pathologies. PMID:27002000
A correlative review of acetylcholine synthesis in relation to histopathology of the human syncytiotrophoblast.
Satyanarayana, M
Acetylcholine (ACh) is localized in the syncytiotrophoblast layer of the human placental villous tissue. An attempt was made to correlate the ACh synthesis in different pathological placentas with the histopathology of the syncytiotrophoblast available in the literature. The ACh synthesis was estimated by 'in vitro' incubation of the placental tissue. Full-term (36-38 weeks) vaginally delivered pathological placentas and hydatid moles (28 weeks) were compared with normal placentas of the same age. The results suggested that: ACh synthesis is normal in states with normal syncytiotrophoblast (e.g., healthy greater than 42 week placenta, placenta praevia, twins, and hydramnios); high ACh synthesis is correlated with hormonal and immunological changes (e.g., diabetes mellitus and Rh-incompatibility); low levels of ACh synthesis occur in states with moderate syncytial degeneration (e.g., nephrotic syndrome and essential hypertension); very poor ACh synthesis occurs when syncytial degeneration is advanced (e.g., preeclampsia, eclampsia, intra-uterine death of fetus, vesicles of hydatid mole and placental tissue infarcts); and ACh synthesis is nil in material that is completely devoid of syncytiotrophoblast (e.g., placental tissue-like material, which rarely appears in between the vesicles of hydatid moles). In essence, the degree of reduction in ACh synthesis seems to correlate with the state of the syncytiotrophoblast in various pathological conditions; and ACh synthesis is greatly reduced during syncytial degeneration. It is concluded that the capacity of the placenta to synthesize ACh reflects the state of the syncytiotrophoblast. PMID:3799152
The interleukin 2 gene is expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast of the human placenta
Boehm, K.D.; Kelley, M.F.; Ilan, J.; Ilan, J. )
The lymphokine interleukin 2 is an important immune system regulatory glycopolypeptide. It is produced by antigen- or mitogen-stimulated T lymphocytes and is required for the proliferation or clonal expansion of activated T lymphocytes. In this report, it is demonstrated by RNA transfer blot hybridization that the poly(A){sup +} RNA population of the human placenta contains a 0.85-kilobase RNA transcript that specifically hybridizes to a human interleukin 2 cDNA probe. By using hybridization histochemistry in situ, it is further shown that interleukin 2 RNA transcripts are localized, primarily, to the syncytial (syncytiotrophoblast) layer of the human placenta. Possible roles for syncytiotrophoblast-produced interleukin 2 are suggested and discussed.
Hypoxia downregulates p53 but induces apoptosis and enhances expression of BAD in cultures of human syncytiotrophoblasts.
Chen, Baosheng; Longtine, Mark S; Sadovsky, Yoel; Nelson, D Michael
Hypoxia is commonly assigned a role in the placental dysfunction characteristic of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. We previously showed that hypoxia upregulates p53 and enhances apoptosis in primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts. Here we tested the hypothesis that hypoxia also induces apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts by upregulation of p53. Primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts that had differentiated into syncytiotrophoblasts by 52 h were exposed for ≤24 h to 20% or <1% oxygen in the presence or absence of staurosporine or the p53 modulators nutlin-3, pifithrin-α, and pifithrin-μ. Proteins were detected by Western blot analysis or immunofluorescence. Compared with 20% oxygen, exposure of syncytiotrophoblasts to <1% oxygen upregulated hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and rapidly downregulated p53. Activity of p53 in hypoxic syncytiotrophoblasts was reduced by the higher expression of the negative p53 regulator MDMX and by the reduction of phosphorylation of p53 at Ser(392), which reduces p53 activity. Conversely, staurosporine, a kinase inhibitor, and nutlin-3, a drug that enhances p53 expression, both raised p53 levels and increased the rate of apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts compared with vehicle controls. Immunofluorescence staining showed p53 immunolocalized to both cytoplasm and nuclei of nutlin-3-exposed syncytiotrophoblasts. The hypoxia-induced apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts correlated with enhanced expression of the proapoptotic BAD and a reduced level of antiapoptotic BAD phosphorylated on Ser(112). We surmise that cell death induced by extreme hypoxia in syncytiotrophoblasts follows a non-p53-dependent pathway, unlike that of a nonhypoxic stimulus and unlike hypoxic cytotrophoblasts. We speculate that downregulation of p53 activity in response to hypoxia reduces or eliminates the apoptosis transduced by the p53 pathway in syncytiotrophoblasts, thereby limiting cell death and maintaining the integrity of this
Hypoxia downregulates p53 but induces apoptosis and enhances expression of BAD in cultures of human syncytiotrophoblasts
Chen, Baosheng; Longtine, Mark S.; Sadovsky, Yoel
Hypoxia is commonly assigned a role in the placental dysfunction characteristic of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction. We previously showed that hypoxia upregulates p53 and enhances apoptosis in primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts. Here we tested the hypothesis that hypoxia also induces apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts by upregulation of p53. Primary cultures of human cytotrophoblasts that had differentiated into syncytiotrophoblasts by 52 h were exposed for ≤24 h to 20% or <1% oxygen in the presence or absence of staurosporine or the p53 modulators nutlin-3, pifithrin-α, and pifithrin-μ. Proteins were detected by Western blot analysis or immunofluorescence. Compared with 20% oxygen, exposure of syncytiotrophoblasts to <1% oxygen upregulated hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α and rapidly downregulated p53. Activity of p53 in hypoxic syncytiotrophoblasts was reduced by the higher expression of the negative p53 regulator MDMX and by the reduction of phosphorylation of p53 at Ser392, which reduces p53 activity. Conversely, staurosporine, a kinase inhibitor, and nutlin-3, a drug that enhances p53 expression, both raised p53 levels and increased the rate of apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts compared with vehicle controls. Immunofluorescence staining showed p53 immunolocalized to both cytoplasm and nuclei of nutlin-3-exposed syncytiotrophoblasts. The hypoxia-induced apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts correlated with enhanced expression of the proapoptotic BAD and a reduced level of antiapoptotic BAD phosphorylated on Ser112. We surmise that cell death induced by extreme hypoxia in syncytiotrophoblasts follows a non-p53-dependent pathway, unlike that of a nonhypoxic stimulus and unlike hypoxic cytotrophoblasts. We speculate that downregulation of p53 activity in response to hypoxia reduces or eliminates the apoptosis transduced by the p53 pathway in syncytiotrophoblasts, thereby limiting cell death and maintaining the integrity of this critical
Comparison of syncytiotrophoblast generated from human embryonic stem cells and from term placentas
Yabe, Shinichiro; Alexenko, Andrei P.; Amita, Mitsuyoshi; Yang, Ying; Schust, Danny J.; Ezashi, Toshihiko; Roberts, R. Michael
Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) readily commit to the trophoblast lineage after exposure to bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) and two small compounds, an activin A signaling inhibitor and a FGF2 signaling inhibitor (BMP4/A83-01/PD173074; BAP treatment). During differentiation, areas emerge within the colonies with the biochemical and morphological features of syncytiotrophoblast (STB). Relatively pure fractions of mononucleated cytotrophoblast (CTB) and larger syncytial sheets displaying the expected markers of STB can be obtained by differential filtration of dispersed colonies through nylon strainers. RNA-seq analysis of these fractions has allowed them to be compared with cytotrophoblasts isolated from term placentas before and after such cells had formed syncytia. Although it is clear from extensive gene marker analysis that both ESC- and placenta-derived syncytial cells are trophoblast, each with the potential to transport a wide range of solutes and synthesize placental hormones, their transcriptome profiles are sufficiently dissimilar to suggest that the two cell types have distinct pedigrees and represent functionally different kinds of STB. We propose that the STB generated from human ESCs represents the primitive syncytium encountered in early pregnancy soon after the human trophoblast invades into the uterine wall. PMID:27051068
Comparison of syncytiotrophoblast generated from human embryonic stem cells and from term placentas.
Yabe, Shinichiro; Alexenko, Andrei P; Amita, Mitsuyoshi; Yang, Ying; Schust, Danny J; Sadovsky, Yoel; Ezashi, Toshihiko; Roberts, R Michael
Human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) readily commit to the trophoblast lineage after exposure to bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) and two small compounds, an activin A signaling inhibitor and a FGF2 signaling inhibitor (BMP4/A83-01/PD173074; BAP treatment). During differentiation, areas emerge within the colonies with the biochemical and morphological features of syncytiotrophoblast (STB). Relatively pure fractions of mononucleated cytotrophoblast (CTB) and larger syncytial sheets displaying the expected markers of STB can be obtained by differential filtration of dispersed colonies through nylon strainers. RNA-seq analysis of these fractions has allowed them to be compared with cytotrophoblasts isolated from term placentas before and after such cells had formed syncytia. Although it is clear from extensive gene marker analysis that both ESC- and placenta-derived syncytial cells are trophoblast, each with the potential to transport a wide range of solutes and synthesize placental hormones, their transcriptome profiles are sufficiently dissimilar to suggest that the two cell types have distinct pedigrees and represent functionally different kinds of STB. We propose that the STB generated from human ESCs represents the primitive syncytium encountered in early pregnancy soon after the human trophoblast invades into the uterine wall. PMID:27051068
The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol dysregulates the synthesis of proteins by the human syncytiotrophoblast.
Costa, M A; Fonseca, B M; Mendes, A; Braga, J; Teixeira, N A; Correia-da-Silva, G
In recent years, endocannabinoids emerged as new players in various reproductive events. Recently, we demonstrated the involvement of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in human cytotrophoblast apoptosis and syncytialization. However, 2-AG impact in hormone production by the syncytiotrophoblast (hST) was never studied. In this work, we demonstrate that 2-AG activates cannabinoid (CB) receptors, exerting an inhibitory action on cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) p38 pathways, and enhancing ERK 1/2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, 2-AG affects the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), leptin, aromatase, 3-β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3-β-HSD), and placental protein 13 (PP13). These 2-AG effects are mediated by the activation of CB receptors, in a mechanism that may involve p38, ERK 1/2 and cAMP/PKA pathways, which participate in the regulation of placental proteins expression. To our knowledge, this is the first study that associates the endocannabinoid signalling and endocrine placental function, shedding light on a role for 2-AG in the complex network of molecules that orchestrate the production of placental proteins essential for the gestational success. PMID:26698196
Transcriptomic signatures of villous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast in term human placenta.
Rouault, Christine; Clément, Karine; Guesnon, Mickael; Henegar, Corneliu; Charles, Marie-Aline; Heude, Barbara; Evain-Brion, Danièle; Degrelle, Séverine A; Fournier, Thierry
During pregnancy, the placenta ensures multiple functions, which are directly involved in the initiation, fetal growth and outcome of gestation. The placental tissue involved in maternal-fetal exchanges and in synthesis of pregnancy hormones is the mononucleated villous cytotrophoblast (VCT) which aggregates and fuses to form and renew the syncytiotrophoblast (ST). Knowledge of the gene expression pattern specific to this endocrine and exchanges tissue of human placenta is of major importance to understand functions of this heterogeneous and complex tissue. Therefore, we undertook a global analysis of the gene expression profiles of primary cultured-VCT (n = 6) and in vitro-differentiated-ST (n = 5) in comparison with whole term placental tissue from which mononucleated VCT were isolated. A total of 880 differentially expressed genes (DEG) were observed between VCT/ST compared to whole placenta, and a total of 37 and 137 genes were significantly up and down-regulated, respectively, in VCT compared to ST. The 37 VCT-genes were involved in cellular processes (assembly, organization, and maintenance), whereas the 137 ST-genes were associated with lipid metabolism and cell morphology. In silico, all networks were linked to 3 transcriptional regulators (PPARγ, RARα and NR2F1) which are known to be essential for trophoblast differentiation. A subset of six DEG was validated by RT-qPCR and four by immunohistochemistry. To conclude, recognition of these pathways is fundamental to increase our understanding of the molecular basis of human trophoblast differentiation. The present study provides for the first time a gene expression signature of the VCT and ST compared to their originated term human placental tissue. PMID:27452442
Cytoadherence of Plasmodium falciparum to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and chondroitin-4-sulfate expressed by the syncytiotrophoblast in the human placenta.
Maubert, B; Guilbert, L J; Deloron, P
Late stages of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IRBCs) frequently sequester in the placentas of pregnant women, a phenomenon associated with low birth weight of the offspring. To investigate the physiological mechanism of this sequestration, we developed an in vitro assay for studying the cytoadherence of IRBCs to cultured term human trophoblasts. The capacity for binding to the syncytiotrophoblast varied greatly among P. falciparum isolates and was mediated by intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), as binding was totally inhibited by 84H10, a monoclonal antibody specific for ICAM-1. Binding of the P. falciparum line RP5 to the syncytiotrophoblast involves chondroitin-4-sulfate (CSA), as this binding was dramatically impaired by addition of free CSA to the binding medium or by preincubation of the syncytiotrophoblast with chondroitinase ABC. ICAM-1 and CSA were visualized on the syncytiotrophoblast by immunofluorescence, while CD36, E-selectin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 were not expressed even on tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated syncytiotrophoblast tissue, and monoclonal antibodies against these cell adhesion molecules did not inhibit cytoadherence. ICAM-1 expression and cytoadherence of wild isolates was upregulated by TNF-alpha, a cytokine that can be secreted by the numerous mononuclear phagocytes present in malaria-infected placentas. These results suggest that cytoadherence may be involved in the placental sequestration and broaden the understanding of the physiopathology of the malaria-infected placenta. PMID:9119459
Serum Proteomic Signature of Human Chagasic Patients for the Identification of Novel Potential Protein Biomarkers of Disease*
Wen, Jian-Jun; Zago, M. Paola; Nuñez, Sonia; Gupta, Shivali; Burgos, Federico Nuñez; Garg, Nisha Jain
Chagas disease is initiated upon infection by Trypanosoma cruzi. Among the health consequences is a decline in heart function, and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this manifestation are not well understood. To explore the possible mechanisms, we employed IgY LC10 affinity chromatography in conjunction with ProteomeLab PF2D and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to resolve the proteome signature of high and low abundance serum proteins in chagasic patients. MALDI-TOF MS/MS analysis yielded 80 and 14 differentially expressed proteins associated with cardiomyopathy of chagasic and other etiologies, respectively. The extent of oxidative stress-induced carbonyl modifications of the differentially expressed proteins (n = 26) was increased and coupled with a depression of antioxidant proteins. Functional annotation of the top networks developed by ingenuity pathway analysis of proteome database identified dysregulation of inflammation/acute phase response signaling and lipid metabolism relevant to production of prostaglandins and arachidonic acid in chagasic patients. Overlay of the major networks identified prothrombin and plasminogen at a nodal position with connectivity to proteome signature indicative of heart disease (i.e., thrombosis, angiogenesis, vasodilatation of blood vessels or the aorta, and increased permeability of blood vessel and endothelial tubes), and inflammatory responses (e.g., platelet aggregation, complement activation, and phagocyte activation and migration). The detection of cardiac proteins (myosin light chain 2 and myosin heavy chain 11) and increased levels of vinculin and plasminogen provided a comprehensive set of biomarkers of cardiac muscle injury and development of clinical Chagas disease in human patients. These results provide an impetus for biomarker validation in large cohorts of clinically characterized chagasic patients. PMID:22543060
Placenta-derived exosomes and syncytiotrophoblast microparticles and their role in human reproduction: immune modulation for pregnancy success.
Mincheva-Nilsson, Lucia; Baranov, Vladimir
The syncytiotrophoblast (STB) of human placenta constitutively produces and secretes extracellular vesicles of different size, morphology and function that enter the maternal circulation, and participate in the maternal-fetal cross-talk during pregnancy. Syncytiotrophoblast-derived microvesicles/microparticles (STBM) are larger microvesicles (0.2-2 μm) shed by the apical plasma membrane of the STB as a result of cell activation and turnover. Simultaneously with the STBM shedding, the STB produces and secretes exosomes--nanosized (30-100/150 nm) membrane-bound microvesicles that originate from the endosomal compartment. They convey cell-cell contact 'by proxy' transporting signals/packages of information between donor and recipient cells locally or/and at a distance. STBM and exosomes, delivered directly in the maternal blood surrounding the chorionic villi of the placenta, have contrasting biological functions. While the exosomes are immunosuppressive down regulating maternal immunity in pluripotent ways, the main effects of STBM on the maternal immune system are pro-inflammatory, immune activating, and pro-coagulant. Since both STBM and exosomes are present in the maternal circulation throughout normal pregnancy logical questions are what is the net effect of these vesicles on the maternal immune system and is this effect beneficial or detrimental to pregnancy. In this review, the current knowledge about placenta-derived extracellular vesicles with a main focus on exosomes is summarized and discussed. In a concluding remark, a hypothetical proposal on how STBM and exosomes might interact in pregnancy is discussed and a way to evaluate this interaction is suggested. PMID:25164206
Cross talk between cAMP and p38 MAPK pathways in the induction of leptin by hCG in human placental syncytiotrophoblasts.
Ge, Y C; Li, J N; Ni, X T; Guo, C M; Wang, W S; Duan, T; Sun, K
Leptin produced by the placental syncytiotrophoblasts participates in a number of processes in pregnancy including implantation, proliferation of the cytotrophoblasts, and nutrient transfer across the placenta. Despite the functional significance of leptin in pregnancy, the regulation of leptin synthesis is poorly understood in human placental syncytiotrophoblasts. In this study, we investigated the role of endogenous human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in the regulation of leptin production as well as the underlying mechanism involving the cross talk between cAMP and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. We found that neutralization of endogenous hCG with its antibody dose dependently decreased leptin mRNA level and secretion, whereas exogenous hCG increased leptin mRNA level and secretion. Activation of the cAMP pathway with dibutyryl cAMP (db cAMP) or forskolin recapitulated the stimulatory effect of hCG on leptin expression. Inhibition of protein kinase A with H89 not only reduced the basal leptin expression but also attenuated the induced leptin expression by hCG. Treatment of the syncytiotrophoblasts with db cAMP and hCG phosphorylated p38 MAPK. Inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB203580 not only reduced the basal leptin production but also attenuated the leptin-induced production by both hCG and db cAMP. These data suggest that endogenous hCG plays a significant role in maintaining leptin production in human placental syncytiotrophoblasts, and this effect involves a cross talk between cAMP and p38 MAPK pathways. PMID:21562093
Syncytiotrophoblast Functions and Fetal Growth Restriction during Placental Malaria: Updates and Implication for Future Interventions
Kidima, Winifrida B.
Syncytiotrophoblast lines the intervillous space of the placenta and plays important roles in fetus growth throughout gestation. However, perturbations at the maternal-fetal interface during placental malaria may possibly alter the physiological functions of syncytiotrophoblast and therefore growth and development of the embryo in utero. An understanding of the influence of placental malaria on syncytiotrophoblast function is paramount in developing novel interventions for the control of placental pathology associated with placental malaria. In this review, we discuss how malaria changes syncytiotrophoblast function as evidenced from human, animal, and in vitro studies and, further, how dysregulation of syncytiotrophoblast function may impact fetal growth in utero. We also formulate a hypothesis, stemming from epidemiological observations, that nutrition may override pathogenesis of placental malaria-associated-fetal growth restriction. We therefore recommend studies on nutrition-based-interventional approaches for high placental malaria-risk women in endemic areas. More investigations on the role of nutrition on placental malaria pathogenesis are needed. PMID:26587536
A three-dimensional culture system recapitulates placental syncytiotrophoblast development and microbial resistance
McConkey, Cameron A.; Delorme-Axford, Elizabeth; Nickerson, Cheryl A.; Kim, Kwang Sik; Sadovsky, Yoel; Boyle, Jon P.; Coyne, Carolyn B.
In eutherians, the placenta acts as a barrier and conduit at the maternal-fetal interface. Syncytiotrophoblasts, the multinucleated cells that cover the placental villous tree surfaces of the human placenta, are directly bathed in maternal blood and are formed by the fusion of progenitor cytotrophoblasts that underlie them. Despite their crucial role in fetal protection, many of the events that govern trophoblast fusion and protection from microbial infection are unknown. We describe a three-dimensional (3D)–based culture model using human JEG-3 trophoblast cells that develop syncytiotrophoblast phenotypes when cocultured with human microvascular endothelial cells. JEG-3 cells cultured in this system exhibit enhanced fusogenic activity and morphological and secretory activities strikingly similar to those of primary human syncytiotrophoblasts. RNASeq analyses extend the observed functional similarities to the transcriptome, where we observed significant overlap between syncytiotrophoblast-specific genes and 3D JEG-3 cultures. Furthermore, JEG-3 cells cultured in 3D are resistant to infection by viruses and Toxoplasma gondii, which mimics the high resistance of syncytiotrophoblasts to microbial infections in vivo. Given that this system is genetically manipulatable, it provides a new platform to dissect the mechanisms involved in syncytiotrophoblast development and microbial resistance. PMID:26973875
Chagasic Thymic Atrophy Does Not Affect Negative Selection but Results in the Export of Activated CD4+CD8+ T Cells in Severe Forms of Human Disease
Morrot, Alexandre; Terra-Granado, Eugênia; Pérez, Ana Rosa; Silva-Barbosa, Suse Dayse; Milićević, Novica M.; Farias-de-Oliveira, Désio Aurélio; Berbert, Luiz Ricardo; De Meis, Juliana; Takiya, Christina Maeda; Beloscar, Juan; Wang, Xiaoping; Kont, Vivian; Peterson, Pärt; Bottasso, Oscar; Savino, Wilson
Extrathymic CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) T cells are increased in some pathophysiological conditions, including infectious diseases. In the murine model of Chagas disease, it has been shown that the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is able to target the thymus and induce alterations of the thymic microenvironment and the lymphoid compartment. In the acute phase, this results in a severe atrophy of the organ and early release of DP cells into the periphery. To date, the effect of the changes promoted by the parasite infection on thymic central tolerance has remained elusive. Herein we show that the intrathymic key elements that are necessary to promote the negative selection of thymocytes undergoing maturation during the thymopoiesis remains functional during the acute chagasic thymic atrophy. Intrathymic expression of the autoimmune regulator factor (Aire) and tissue-restricted antigen (TRA) genes is normal. In addition, the expression of the proapoptotic Bim protein in thymocytes was not changed, revealing that the parasite infection-induced thymus atrophy has no effect on these marker genes necessary to promote clonal deletion of T cells. In a chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA)-specific T-cell receptor (TCR) transgenic system, the administration of OVA peptide into infected mice with thymic atrophy promoted OVA-specific thymocyte apoptosis, further indicating normal negative selection process during the infection. Yet, although the intrathymic checkpoints necessary for thymic negative selection are present in the acute phase of Chagas disease, we found that the DP cells released into the periphery acquire an activated phenotype similar to what is described for activated effector or memory single-positive T cells. Most interestingly, we also demonstrate that increased percentages of peripheral blood subset of DP cells exhibiting an activated HLA-DR+ phenotype are associated with severe cardiac forms of human chronic Chagas disease. These cells may contribute to the
Cardiac condition in young chagasic women
Lassen, O; Dotto, G; Ojeda, S; Garutti, A; Bertolotto, P; Tabares, S; Gallerano, R; Sembaj, A
Rationale: Chagas disease is a complex disorder caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Most patients remain asymptomatic for several years and 30% of them progress quietly to developing cardiomyopathy. The factors that lead to chronic myocardial lesions are not fully understood. Objective: To investigate the association between clinical symptoms and single nucleotide polymorphisms in chagasic and non-chagasic women younger and older than 55 years of age. Methods and Results: we analyzed Ala-9Val and Ile58Thr polymorphisms of the SOD-Mn gene, 138ex1ins/del A of the endothelin-1 gene (ET-1) and H323H (T/C) of the endothelin receptor A gene (ETA), by PCR-RFLP using genomic DNA from leukocyte of 85 women. We also evaluated serum lipid profile, renal and liver function, chest X-rays, electrocardiograms (ECGs) and echocardiography (EchoCG). Biochemical profiling did not show differences between chagasic and non-chagasic patients. The polymorphisms analyses showed a significant association in the distribution of frequencies of the Mn-SOD Ile58Thr gene between both groups. Young chagasic patients had a significantly higher prevalence of abnormalities in X-rays, in ECGs and they showed grade II and III of NYHA functional classes. The chance of having an abnormal EchoCG was 5.87 higher in young chagasic patients (OR=5.87, 95% CI 1.47-23.4). Discussion: We concluded that the parasite affects young females by accelerating the deterioration of cardiac function, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors and the cardioprotective action of estrogens present in the premenopausal stage. PMID:23904881
HLA antigens in cardiomyopathic Chilean chagasics.
Llop, E; Rothhammer, F; Acuña, M; Apt, W
The distribution of HLA antigens in a sample of 124 Chagas serologically positive Chilean individuals was studied. The sample was subdivided according to the presence or absence of chagasic cardiomyopathy, in order to search for genetic differences associated with this pathological condition. The frequency of antigen B40 in the presence of antigen Cw3 was found to be significantly lower in subjects with cardiomyopathy. We tentatively suggest that the presence of these antigens among noncardiomyopathics is associated with a decreased susceptibility to develop chagasic cardiomyopathy in the Chilean population. PMID:3189340
Quantitative analysis of cardiac lesions in chronic canine chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Caliari, Marcelo Vidigal; do Pilar Machado, Raquel; de Lana, Marta; Caja, Rosângela Aparecida França; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins; Bahia, Maria Teresinha; dos Santos, César Augusto Bueno; Magalhaes, Gustavo Albergaria; Sampaio, Ivan Barbosa Machado; Tafuri, Washington Luiz
Lesions observed in chronic chagasic cardiopathy frequently produce electrocardiographic alterations and affect cardiac function. Through a computerized morphometrical analysis we quantified the areas occupied by cardiac muscle, connective and adipose tissues in the right atrium of dogs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi. All of the infected dogs showed chronic myocarditis with variable reduction levels of cardiac muscle, fibrosis and adipose tissue replacement. In the atrial myocardium of dogs infected with Be78 and Be62 cardiac muscle represented 34 and 50%, fibrosis 28 and 32% and adipose tissue 38 and 18%, respectively. The fibrosis observed was both diffuse and focal and mostly intrafascicular, either partially or completely interrupting the path of muscle bundles. Such histological alterations probably contributed to the appearance of electrocardiographic disturbances verified in 10 out 11 dogs which are also common in human chronic chagasic cardiopathy. Fibrosis was the most important microscopic occurrence found since it produces rearrangements of collagen fibers in relation to myocardiocytes which causes changes in anatomical physiognomy and mechanical behavior of the myocardium. These abnormalities can contribute to the appearance of cardiac malfunction, arrythmias and congestive cardiac insufficiency as observed in two of the analyzed dogs. Strain Be78 caused destruction of atrial cardiac muscle higher than that induced by strain Be62. PMID:12436168
The Immunomodulatory Role of Syncytiotrophoblast Microvesicles
Southcombe, Jennifer; Tannetta, Dionne; Redman, Christopher; Sargent, Ian
Immune adaptation is a critical component of successful pregnancy. Of primary importance is the modification of cytokine production upon immune activation. With the discovery that normal pregnancy itself is a pro-inflammatory state, it was recognised that the classical Th1/Th2 cytokine paradigm, with a shift towards 'type 2' cytokine production (important for antibody production), and away from 'type 1' immunity (associated with cell mediated immunity and graft rejection), is too simplistic. It is now generally agreed that both arms of cytokine immunity are activated, but with a bias towards 'type 2' immunity. Many factors are released from the placenta that can influence the maternal cytokine balance. Here we focus on syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles (STBM) which are shed from the placenta into the maternal circulation. We show that STBM can bind to monocytes and B cells and induce cytokine release (TNFα, MIP-1α, IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8). Other cytokines are down-modulated, such as IP-10 which is associated with 'type 1' immunity. Therefore STBM may aid the 'type 2' skewed nature of normal pregnancy. We also observed that PBMC from third trimester normal pregnant women produce more TNFα and IL-6 in response to STBM than PBMC from non-pregnant women, confirming that maternal immune cells are primed by pregnancy, possibly through their interaction with STBM. PMID:21633494
Defect of villous cytotrophoblast differentiation into syncytiotrophoblast in Down's syndrome.
Frendo, J L; Vidaud, M; Guibourdenche, J; Luton, D; Muller, F; Bellet, D; Giovagrandi, Y; Tarrade, A; Porquet, D; Blot, P; Evain-Brion, D
The syncytiotrophoblast (ST) is one of the major components of the human placenta, as it is involved in feto-maternal exchanges and the secretion of pregnancy-specific hormones. The aim of this study was to elucidate the formation and function of the ST in trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome). We first used the in vitro model of cytotrophoblast differentiation into ST. Cytotrophoblasts were isolated from 15 trisomy 21-affected placentas (12-35 weeks gestation) and 10 gestational age-matched control placentas. In vitro cytotrophoblasts isolated from normal placenta fused to form the ST. This was associated with an increase in transcript levels and in the secretion of hCG, human placental lactogen, placental GH, and leptin. In trisomy 21-affected placentas, we observed a defect (or a delay) in ST formation and a dramatic decrease in the synthesis and secretion of these hormones compared to those in cultured cells isolated from control age-matched placentas. These results were confirmed by a significant (P < 0.001) decrease in gene expression in total homogenates of trisomy 21-affected placentas compared to controls. These results will be of help in understanding the maternal hormonal markers of fetal trisomy 21 and the consequences of placental defects for fetal development. PMID:11061527
Do lymphocytes from Chagasic patients respond to heart antigens?
Todd, C W; Todd, N R; Guimaraes, A C
Lymphocyte transformation studies of nonadherent lymphocytes from chronic Chagasic and uninfected persons demonstrated that responses of all individuals to a mouse heart homogenate showed a correlation with responses to streptococcal antigens. Considering the known cross-reactions between streptococcal and cardiac antigens and the high reactivity of Chagasic patients to streptococcal antigens, it is possible that positive lymphocyte transformation to unfractionated heart antigen preparations may not represent specific reactivity to heart antigens. PMID:6404836
Lower oesophageal sphincter response to pentagastrin in chagasic patients with megaoesophagus and megacolon.
Padovan, W; Godoy, R A; Dantas, R O; Meneghelli, U G; Oliveira, R B; Troncon, L E
Intraluminal manometric studies were performed in 14 chagasic patients with megaoesophagus, 10 chagasic patients with megacolon, and 15 control subjects. Basal lower oesophageal sphincter pressure was 20.27+/-1.16 mmHg (mean+/-SEM) in controls as compared wtih 15.16+/-1.53 mmHg in chagasics with megaoesophagus and 14.38+/-1.50 mmHg in chagasics with megacolon. Dose-response studies to intravenous pentagastrin showed that the chagasic patients exhibited a lower sensitivity to the stimulant than did the controls, as demonstrated by shifting of the dose-response curve to the right and higher individual values of the dose for half maximal contraction (D50). No difference was noted between the calculated maximal contraction (Vmax) of oesophageal sphincter of controls and chagasics. These data are compatible with the hypothesis of an interaction between pentagastrin and cholinergic nervous excitation on oesophageal sphincteric smooth muscle. PMID:6769753
Transplanted Bone Marrow Cells Repair Heart Tissue and Reduce Myocarditis in Chronic Chagasic Mice
Soares, Milena B. P.; Lima, Ricardo S.; Rocha, Leonardo L.; Takyia, Christina M.; Pontes-de-Carvalho, Lain; Campos de Carvalho, Antonio C.; Ribeiro-dos-Santos, Ricardo
A progressive destruction of the myocardium occurs in ∼30% of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals, causing chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, a disease so far without effective treatment. Syngeneic bone marrow cell transplantation has been shown to cause repair and improvement of heart function in a number of studies in patients and animal models of ischemic cardiopathy. The effects of bone marrow transplant in a mouse model of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, in the presence of the disease causal agent, ie, the T. cruzi, are described herein. Bone marrow cells injected intravenously into chronic chagasic mice migrated to the heart and caused a significant reduction in the inflammatory infiltrates and in the interstitial fibrosis characteristics of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. The beneficial effects were observed up to 6 months after bone marrow cell transplantation. A massive apoptosis of myocardial inflammatory cells was observed after the therapy with bone marrow cells. Transplanted bone marrow cells obtained from chagasic mice and from normal mice had similar effects in terms of mediating chagasic heart repair. These results show that bone marrow cell transplantation is effective for treatment of chronic chagasic myocarditis and indicate that autologous bone marrow transplant may be used as an efficient therapy for patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. PMID:14742250
[Migration flow and imported diseases: chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy].
Guerri-Guttenberg, Roberto A; Di Girolamo, Chiara; Ciannameo, Anna; Milei, José
Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is transmitted by triatomine bugs in endemic regions of the American continent and less frequently by blood transfusion and congenital transmission. Immigration rates explain why the disease can be found worldwide. Non-endemic countries that receive a significant amount of Latin American immigrants should be familiarized with the disease to allow prevention, diagnosis and early treatment. In Italy, where no serologic screening is routinely performed to detect Trypanosoma cruzi in blood donations, a special consideration must be held. Accordingly, attention to congenital transmissions of the disease should be drawn considering the lack of newborn screening. Though commonly unrecognized, chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is the most common type of chronic myocarditis in the world. PMID:19475878
Increased CD4+/CD8+ Double-Positive T Cells in Chronic Chagasic Patients
Giraldo, Nicolas A.; Bolaños, Natalia I.; Cuellar, Adriana; Guzman, Fanny; Uribe, Ana Maria; Bedoya, Astrid; Olaya, Natalia; Cucunubá, Zulma M.; Roa, Nubia; Rosas, Fernando; Velasco, Víctor; Puerta, Concepción J.; González, John M.
Background CD4+/CD8+ double positive (DP) T cells have been described in healthy individuals as well as in patients with autoimmune and chronic infectious diseases. In chronic viral infections, this cell subset has effector memory phenotype and displays antigen specificity. No previous studies of double positive T cells in parasite infections have been carried out. Methodology/Principal Findings Seventeen chronic chagasic patients (7 asymptomatic and 10 symptomatic) and 24 non-infected donors, including 12 healthy and 12 with non-chagasic cardiomyopathy donors were analyzed. Peripheral blood was stained for CD3, CD4, CD8, HLA-DR and CD38, and lymphocytes for intracellular perforin. Antigen specificity was assessed using HLA*A2 tetramers loaded with T. cruzi K1 or influenza virus epitopes. Surface expression of CD107 and intracellular IFN-γ production were determined in K1-specific DP T cells from 11 chagasic donors. Heart tissue from a chronic chagasic patient was stained for both CD8 and CD4 by immunochemistry. Chagasic patients showed higher frequencies of DP T cells (2.1%±0.9) compared with healthy (1.1%±0.5) and non-chagasic cardiomyopathy (1.2%±0.4) donors. DP T cells from Chagasic patients also expressed more HLA-DR, CD38 and perforin and had higher frequencies of T. cruzi K1-specific cells. IFN-γ production in K1-specific cells was higher in asymptomatic patients after polyclonal stimulation, while these cells tended to degranulate more in symptomatic donors. Immunochemistry revealed that double positive T cells infiltrate the cardiac tissue of a chagasic donor. Conclusions Chagasic patients have higher percentages of circulating double positive T cells expressing activation markers, potential effector molecules and greater class I antigenic specificity against T. cruzi. Although K1 tetramer positive DP T cell produced little IFN-γ, they displayed degranulation activity that was increased in symptomatic patients. Moreover, K1-specific DP T cells can
Effect of hypoxia on the calcium and magnesium content, lipid peroxidation level, and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity of syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes from placental explants.
Chiarello, Delia I; Marín, Reinaldo; Proverbio, Fulgencio; Benzo, Zully; Piñero, Sandy; Botana, Desirée; Abad, Cilia
In the current study the possible relationship between the Ca(2+)/Mg(2+) ratio of human syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes and their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity was determined. Syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of placental explants cultured under hypoxia increased their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+) content, diminished their Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, and kept their Mg(2+) content unchanged. Membranes preincubated with different concentrations of Ca(2+) increased their Ca(2+) content without changes in their Mg(2+) content. There is a direct relationship between Ca(2+) content and lipid peroxidation of the membranes, as well as an inverse relationship between their Ca(2+) content and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. On the contrary, preincubation of membranes with different concentrations of Mg(2+) showed a higher Mg(2+) content without changing their lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity. Explants cultured under hypoxia in the presence of 4 mM MgSO4 showed similar values of lipid peroxidation and Ca(2+)-ATPase activity of their membranes compared to those of explants cultured under normoxia. Increased Ca(2+) content of the membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids could result in destabilizing effects of the membrane structure, exposing hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids to the action of free radicals. Mg(2+) might exert a stabilizing effect of the membranes, avoiding their exposure to free radicals. PMID:25180187
Effect of Hypoxia on the Calcium and Magnesium Content, Lipid Peroxidation Level, and Ca2+-ATPase Activity of Syncytiotrophoblast Plasma Membranes from Placental Explants
Chiarello, Delia I.; Benzo, Zully; Piñero, Sandy; Botana, Desirée; Abad, Cilia
In the current study the possible relationship between the Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio of human syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes and their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity was determined. Syncytiotrophoblast plasma membranes of placental explants cultured under hypoxia increased their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+ content, diminished their Ca2+-ATPase activity, and kept their Mg2+ content unchanged. Membranes preincubated with different concentrations of Ca2+ increased their Ca2+ content without changes in their Mg2+ content. There is a direct relationship between Ca2+ content and lipid peroxidation of the membranes, as well as an inverse relationship between their Ca2+ content and Ca2+-ATPase activity. On the contrary, preincubation of membranes with different concentrations of Mg2+ showed a higher Mg2+ content without changing their lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity. Explants cultured under hypoxia in the presence of 4 mM MgSO4 showed similar values of lipid peroxidation and Ca2+-ATPase activity of their membranes compared to those of explants cultured under normoxia. Increased Ca2+ content of the membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids could result in destabilizing effects of the membrane structure, exposing hydrocarbon chains of fatty acids to the action of free radicals. Mg2+ might exert a stabilizing effect of the membranes, avoiding their exposure to free radicals. PMID:25180187
Electrophysiological and pharmacological evaluation of the nicotinic cholinergic system in chagasic rats
Background Two theories attempt to explain the changes observed in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in chagasic cardiomyopathy. The neurogenic theory proposes that receptor changes are due to loss of intracardiac ganglia parasympathetic neurons. The immunogenic theory proposes that the nAChRs changes are the result of autoantibodies against these receptors. Both theories agreed that nAChRs functional expression could be impaired in Chagas disease. Methods We evaluated nAChRs functional integrity in 54 Sprague Dawley rats, divided in two groups: healthy and chronic chagasic rats. Rats were subjected to electrocardiographic studies in the whole animal under pentobarbital anesthesia, by isolation and stimulation of vagus nerves and in isolated beating hearts (Langendorff's preparation). Results Nicotine, 10 μM, induced a significant bradycardia in both groups. However, rats that had previously received reserpine did not respond to nicotine stimulation. β-adrenergic stimulation, followed by nicotine treatment, induced tachycardia in chagasic rats; while inducing bradycardia in healthy rats. Bilateral vagus nerve stimulation induced a significantly higher level of bradycardia in healthy rats, compared to chagasic rats; physostigmine potentiated the bradycardic response to vagal stimulation in both experimental groups. Electric stimulation (e.g., ≥ 2 Hz), in the presence of physostigmine, produced a comparable vagal response in both groups. In isolated beating-heart preparations 1 μM nicotine induced sustained bradycardia in healthy hearts while inducing tachycardia in chagasic hearts. Higher nicotine doses (e.g.,10 – 100 uM) promoted the characteristic biphasic response (i.e., bradycardia followed by tachycardia) in both groups. 10 nM DHβE antagonized the effect of 10 μM nicotine, unmasking the cholinergic bradycardic effect in healthy rats only. 1 nM α-BGT alone induced bradycardia in healthy hearts but antagonized the 10 μM nicotine
Syncytiotrophoblast Extracellular Vesicles from Pre-Eclampsia Placentas Differentially Affect Platelet Function
Tannetta, Dionne S.; Hunt, Kathryn; Jones, Chris I.; Davidson, Naomi; Coxon, Carmen H.; Ferguson, David; Redman, Christopher W.; Gibbins, Jonathan M.; Sargent, Ian L.; Tucker, Katherine L.
Pre-eclampsia (PE) complicates around 3% of all pregnancies and is one of the most common causes of maternal mortality worldwide. The pathophysiology of PE remains unclear however its underlying cause originates from the placenta and manifests as raised blood pressure, proteinuria, vascular or systemic inflammation and hypercoagulation in the mother. Women who develop PE are also at significantly higher risk of subsequently developing cardiovascular (CV) disease. In PE, the failing endoplasmic reticulum, oxidative and inflammatory stressed syncytiotrophoblast layer of the placenta sheds increased numbers of syncytiotrophoblast extracellular vesicles (STBEV) into the maternal circulation. Platelet reactivity, size and concentration are also known to be altered in some women who develop PE, although the underlying reasons for this have not been determined. In this study we show that STBEV from disease free placenta isolated ex vivo by dual placental perfusion associate rapidly with platelets. We provide evidence that STBEV isolated from normal placentas cause platelet activation and that this is increased with STBEV from PE pregnancies. Furthermore, treatment of platelets with aspirin, currently prescribed for women at high risk of PE to reduce platelet aggregation, also inhibits STBEV-induced reversible aggregation of washed platelets. Increased platelet reactivity as a result of exposure to PE placenta derived STBEVs correlates with increased thrombotic risk associated with PE. These observations establish a possible direct link between the clotting disturbances of PE and dysfunction of the placenta, as well as the known increased risk of thromboembolism associated with this condition. PMID:26551971
The identification and characterization of epitopes in the 30-34 kDa Trypanosoma cruzi proteins recognized by antibodies in the serum samples of chagasic patients.
Verissimo da Costa, Giovani Carlo; Lery, Leticia Miranda Santos; da Silva, Manuela Leal; Moura, Hércules; Peralta, Regina Helena Saramago; von Krüger, Wanda Maria Almeida; Bisch, Paulo Mascarello; Barr, John R; Peralta, José Mauro
Trypanosoma cruzi proteins with molecular weight between 30 and 34 kDa have shown high reactivity in western blot assays with serum samples from chagasic individuals. However, in-depth analysis of the constituents of these protein fractions has not been performed. This is the first report of an immunoaffinity proteomic approach to identify the immunodominant 30-34 kDa proteins of T. cruzi that could eventually be used for the diagnosis of Chagas disease. We used two different sample preparation protocols for protein digestion coupled to mass spectrometry to identify proteins in the protein fraction. The immunodominant proteins and their respective epitopes were then identified by co-immunoprecipitation and excision-epitope mapping/mass spectrometry, using human sera followed by the prediction and three-dimensional structural modeling of reactive epitopes. The use of different sample preparation methods allowed the identification of a relatively high number of proteins, some of which were only identified after one or multiple sample preparation and digestion protocols. Seven immunodominant proteins were identified by co-immunoprecipitation with purified IgGs from chagasic serum samples. Moreover, six reactive peptide epitopes were detected in four of these proteins by excision-epitope mapping/mass spectrometry. Three-dimensional structural models were obtained for the immunoreactive peptides, which correlated well with the linear B-cell epitope prediction tools. PMID:23159400
Isolation of syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles and exosomes and their characterisation by multicolour flow cytometry and fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis.
Dragovic, R A; Collett, G P; Hole, P; Ferguson, D J P; Redman, C W; Sargent, I L; Tannetta, D S
The human placenta releases multiple types and sizes of syncytiotrophoblast (STB) extracellular vesicles (EV) into the maternal circulation that exhibit diverse biological activities. The placental perfusion technique enables isolation of these STBEV, but conventional flow cytometry can only be used to phenotype EV down to ∼300 nm in size. Fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (fl-NTA) has the potential to phenotype EV down to ∼50 nm, thereby improving current characterisation techniques. The aims of this study were to prepare microvesicle and exosome enriched fractions from human placental perfusate (n=8) and improve fl-NTA STBEV detection. Differential centrifugation and filtration effectively removed contaminating red blood cells from fresh placental perfusates and pelleted a STB microvesicle (STBMV) fraction (10,000×g pellet - 10KP; NTA modal size 395±12 nm), enriched for the STB marker placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) and a STB exosome (STBEX) fraction (150,000×g pellet - 150KP; NTA modal size 147±6 nm), enriched for PLAP and exosome markers Alix and CD63. The PLAP positivity of 'standard' 10KP and 150KP pools (four samples/pool), determined by immunobead depletion, was used to optimise fl-NTA camera settings. Individual 10KP and 150KP samples (n=8) were 54.5±5.7% (range 17.8-66.9%) and 30.6±5.6% (range 3.3-51.7%) PLAP positive, respectively. We have developed a reliable method for enriching STBMV and STBEX from placental perfusate. We also standardised fl-NTA settings and improved measurement of PLAP positive EV in STBMV. However, fl-NTA is not as sensitive as anti-PLAP Dynabead capture for STBEX detection, possibly due to STBEX having lower surface expression of PLAP. These important developments will facilitate more detailed studies of the role of STBMV and STBEX in normal and pathological pregnancies. PMID:25843788
Trypanosoma cruzi P21: a potential novel target for chagasic cardiomyopathy therapy
Teixeira, Thaise Lara; Machado, Fabrício Castro; Alves da Silva, Aline; Teixeira, Samuel Cota; Borges, Bruna Cristina; dos Santos, Marlus Alves; Martins, Flávia Alves; Brígido, Paula Cristina; Rodrigues, Adele Aud; Notário, Ana Flávia Oliveira; Ferreira, Bruno Antônio; Servato, João Paulo Silva; Deconte, Simone Ramos; Lopes, Daiana Silva; Ávila, Veridiana Melo Rodrigues; Araújo, Fernanda de Assis; Tomiosso, Tatiana Carla; Silva, Marcelo José Barbosa; da Silva, Claudio Vieira
Chagas disease, which is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important cause of cardiomyopathy in Latin America. It is estimated that 10%–30% of all infected individuals will acquire chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). The etiology of CCC is multifactorial and involves parasite genotype, host genetic polymorphisms, immune response, signaling pathways and autoimmune progression. Herein we verified the impact of the recombinant form of P21 (rP21), a secreted T. cruzi protein involved in host cell invasion, on progression of inflammatory process in a polyester sponge-induced inflammation model. Results indicated that rP21 can recruit immune cells induce myeloperoxidase and IL-4 production and decrease blood vessels formation compared to controls in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, T. cruzi P21 may be a potential target for the development of P21 antagonist compounds to treat chagasic cardiomyopathy. PMID:26574156
Analysis of association of FOXO3 gene with Trypanosoma cruzi infection and chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Leon Rodriguez, D A; González, C I; Martin, J
FOXO3, a member of the Forkhead family of proteins, plays a role in controlling immune response. FOXO3 gene variant rs12212067 has been associated to differential severity of infectious diseases like malaria. In this study, we assessed whether this FOXO3 gene polymorphism is related to susceptibility to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and/or chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy. A total of 1171 individuals from a Colombian region endemic for Chagas disease, classified as seronegative (n = 595), seropositive asymptomatic (n = 175) and chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (n = 401) were genotyped for the FOXO3 rs12212067 using TaqMan allelic discrimination. Our results showed no statistically significantly differences between allelic and genotypic frequencies of rs12212067 in seronegative individuals compared with seropositive individuals. Similarly, we observed no evidence of association when asymptomatic individuals were compared with chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy patients. Our data suggest that the FOXO3 genetic variant rs12212067 do not play an important role in Chagas disease. PMID:27125259
Isolation of syncytiotrophoblast microvesicles and exosomes and their characterisation by multicolour flow cytometry and fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis
Dragovic, R.A.; Collett, G.P.; Hole, P.; Ferguson, D.J.P.; Redman, C.W.; Sargent, I.L.; Tannetta, D.S.
The human placenta releases multiple types and sizes of syncytiotrophoblast (STB) extracellular vesicles (EV) into the maternal circulation that exhibit diverse biological activities. The placental perfusion technique enables isolation of these STBEV, but conventional flow cytometry can only be used to phenotype EV down to ∼300 nm in size. Fluorescence Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (fl-NTA) has the potential to phenotype EV down to ∼50 nm, thereby improving current characterisation techniques. The aims of this study were to prepare microvesicle and exosome enriched fractions from human placental perfusate (n = 8) and improve fl-NTA STBEV detection. Differential centrifugation and filtration effectively removed contaminating red blood cells from fresh placental perfusates and pelleted a STB microvesicle (STBMV) fraction (10,000×g pellet – 10KP; NTA modal size 395 ± 12 nm), enriched for the STB marker placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP) and a STB exosome (STBEX) fraction (150,000×g pellet – 150KP; NTA modal size 147 ± 6 nm), enriched for PLAP and exosome markers Alix and CD63. The PLAP positivity of 'standard' 10KP and 150KP pools (four samples/pool), determined by immunobead depletion, was used to optimise fl-NTA camera settings. Individual 10KP and 150KP samples (n = 8) were 54.5 ± 5.7% (range 17.8–66.9%) and 30.6 ± 5.6% (range 3.3–51.7%) PLAP positive, respectively. We have developed a reliable method for enriching STBMV and STBEX from placental perfusate. We also standardised fl-NTA settings and improved measurement of PLAP positive EV in STBMV. However, fl-NTA is not as sensitive as anti-PLAP Dynabead capture for STBEX detection, possibly due to STBEX having lower surface expression of PLAP. These important developments will facilitate more detailed studies of the role of STBMV and STBEX in normal and pathological pregnancies. PMID:25843788
Alteration of syncytiotrophoblast mitochondria function and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in the placenta of rural residents.
Rivero Osimani, Valeria L; Valdez, Susana R; Guiñazú, Natalia; Magnarelli, Gladis
The impact of environmental organophosphate (OP) pesticide exposure on respiratory complexes, enzymatic antioxidant defense activities, and oxidative damage markers in the syncytiotrophoblast and cytotrophoblast mitochondria was evaluated. Placental progesterone (PG) levels and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression were studied. Samples from women non-exposed (control group-CG) and women living in a rural area (rural group-RG) were collected during pesticide spraying season (RG-SS) and non-spraying season (RG-NSS). In RG-SS, the exposure biomarker placental carboxylesterase decreased and syncytiotrophoblast cytochrome c oxidase activity increased, while 4-hydroxynonenal levels decreased. PG levels decreased in RG-SS and in the RG. Nitric oxide synthase expression decreased in RG, RG-SS and RG-NSS. No significant changes in mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme activities were found. These results suggest that the alteration of syncytiotrophoblast mitochondrial complex IV activity and steroidogenic function may be associated to pesticide exposure. Reduction in placental PG and eNOS expression may account for low newborn weight in RG. PMID:26939719
Gene expression analysis in mitochondria from chagasic mice: alterations in specific metabolic pathways
Cardiac hypertrophy and remodelling in chagasic disease might be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. In the present study, we characterized the cardiac metabolic responses to Trypanosoma cruzi infection and progressive disease severity using a custom-designed mitoarray (mitochondrial function-related gene array). Mitoarrays consisting of known, well-characterized mitochondrial function-related cDNAs were hybridized with 32P-labelled cDNA probes generated from the myocardium of mice during immediate early, acute and chronic phases of infection and disease development. The mitoarray successfully identified novel aspects of the T. cruzi-induced alterations in the expression of the genes related to mitochondrial function and biogenesis that were further confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase–PCRs. Of note is the up-regulation of transcripts essential for fatty acid metabolism associated with repression of the mRNAs for pyruvate dehydrogenase complex in infected hearts. We observed no statistically significant changes in mRNAs for the enzymes of tricarboxylic acid cycle. These results suggest that fatty acid metabolism compensates the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiencies for the supply of acetyl-CoA for a tricarboxylic acid cycle, and chagasic hearts may not be limited in reduced energy (NADH and FADH2). The observation of a decrease in mRNA level for several subunits of the respiratory chain complexes by mitoarray as well as global genome analysis suggests a limitation in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-mediated ATP-generation capacity as the probable basis for cardiac homoeostasis in chagasic disease. PMID:15101819
Chagas Cardiomyopathy Manifestations and Trypanosoma cruzi Genotypes Circulating in Chronic Chagasic Patients
Ramírez, Juan David; Guhl, Felipe; Rendón, Lina María; Rosas, Fernando; Marin-Neto, Jose A.; Morillo, Carlos A.
Chagas disease caused by Trypanosoma cruzi is a complex disease that is endemic and an important problem in public health in Latin America. The T. cruzi parasite is classified into six discrete taxonomic units (DTUs) based on the recently proposed nomenclature (TcI, TcII, TcIII, TcIV, TcV and TcVI). The discovery of genetic variability within TcI showed the presence of five genotypes (Ia, Ib, Ic, Id and Ie) related to the transmission cycle of Chagas disease. In Colombia, TcI is more prevalent but TcII has also been reported, as has mixed infection by both TcI and TcII in the same Chagasic patient. The objectives of this study were to determine the T. cruzi DTUs that are circulating in Colombian chronic Chagasic patients and to obtain more information about the molecular epidemiology of Chagas disease in Colombia. We also assessed the presence of electrocardiographic, radiologic and echocardiographic abnormalities with the purpose of correlating T. cruzi genetic variability and cardiac disease. Molecular characterization was performed in Colombian adult chronic Chagasic patients based on the intergenic region of the mini-exon gene, the 24Sα and 18S regions of rDNA and the variable region of satellite DNA, whereby the presence of T.cruzi I, II, III and IV was detected. In our population, mixed infections also occurred, with TcI-TcII, TcI-TcIII and TcI-TcIV, as well as the existence of the TcI genotypes showing the presence of genotypes Ia and Id. Patients infected with TcI demonstrated a higher prevalence of cardiac alterations than those infected with TcII. These results corroborate the predominance of TcI in Colombia and show the first report of TcIII and TcIV in Colombian Chagasic patients. Findings also indicate that Chagas cardiomyopathy manifestations are more correlated with TcI than with TcII in Colombia. PMID:21152056
QRS slopes for assessment of myocardial damage in chronic chagasic patients
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Pueyo, E.; Laciar, E.; Anzuola, E.; Laguna, P.; Jané, R.
In this study the slopes of the QRS complex are evaluated for determination of the degree of myocardial damage in chronic chagasic patients. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of the slope indices to reflect alterations in the conduction velocity of the cardiac impulse. Results obtained in the present study show that chronic chagasic patients have significantly flatter QRS slopes as compared to healthy subjects. Not only that but the extent of slope lessening turns out to be proportional to the degree of myocardial damage caused by the disease. Additionally, when incorporating the slope indices into a classification analysis together with other indices indicative of the presence of ventricular late potentials obtained from high resolution electrocardiography, results show that the percentages of correct classification increase up to 62.5%, which means eight points above the percentages obtained prior to incorporation of the slope indices. It can be concluded that QRS slopes have great potential for assessing the degree of severity associated with Chagas' disease.
[A missing name in the history of chagasic megaesophagus: Joseph Cooper Reinhardt (1809/10-1873)].
Meneghelli, U G; de Rezende, J M; Troncon, L E; Madrid, N; de Moura, M L
The book entitled "Brazil and the Brasilians", written by the Reverends Kidder and Fletcher and firstly published in the United States in 1857, reports the travels of these two missionaries throughout Brazil and includes a section entitled "A new disease". This section contains data regarding the clinical picture, the natural history and the epidemiology of a commom disease in Brazilian hinterland, which was known as "mal de engasgo". These informations were collected in 1855 by Rev. Fletcher from an anonymous North American physician, who worked in Limeira, State of São Paulo, and is called in the book merely as "Dr.-". The present work reports the results of an investigation carried out aiming at the identification of "Dr.-" and discloses documental evidence that "Dr.-" was actually Dr. Joseph Cooper Reinhardt (1809/10-1883). Dr. Reinhardt worked for many years in the citites of Limeira and Campinas, State of São Paulo, and probably had an extensive knowledge regarding the main features of this particular disease, which would be known, nearly 100 years later, as chagasic megaesophagus. The authors point out that, from now on, any account of the history of chagasic megaesophagus must include the name of Dr. Joseph Cooper Reinhardt. PMID:9711306
Gene expression changes associated with myocarditis and fibrosis in hearts of mice with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy
Soares, Milena Botelho Pereira; de Lima, Ricardo Santana; Rocha, Leonardo Lima; Vasconcelos, Juliana Fraga; Rogatto, Silvia Regina; dos Santos, Ricardo Ribeiro; Iacobas, Sanda; Goldenberg, Regina Coeli; Iacobas, Dumitru Andrei; Tanowitz, Herbert Bernard; de Carvalho, Antonio Carlos Campos; Spray, David Conover
Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of heart failure in Latin American countries. About 30% of Trypanosoma cruzi-infected individuals develop this severe symptomatic form of the disease, characterized by intense inflammatory response accompanied by fibrosis in the heart. We performed an extensive microarray analysis of hearts from a mouse model of this disease and determined significant alterations in expression of ∼12% of the sampled genes. Extensive upregulations were associated with immune-inflammatory responses (chemokines, adhesion molecules, cathepsins and MHC molecules) and fibrosis (extracellular matrix components, lysyl oxidase and Timp-1). Our results indicate potentially relevant factors involved in the pathogenesis of the disease that may provide new therapeutic targets in chronic Chagas' disease. PMID:20565256
Anti-Trypanosoma cruzi and anti-laminin antibodies in chagasic patients after specific treatment.
Gazzinelli, R T; Galvão, L M; Cardoso, J E; Cançado, J R; Krettli, A U; Brener, Z; Gazzinelli, G
The antibody response to Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote and trypomastigote stages, as well as to laminin, was studied in several groups of chagasic patients. In six patients who were cured of the parasite, the serum antibody titers as revealed by indirect immunofluorescence and hemagglutination tests against epimastigotes (conventional serology) and a complement-mediated lysis test with living trypomastigotes did not differ from those of normal individuals. In seven presumably cured patients, although the complement-mediated lysis test turned negative, conventional serology remained positive. Sera from this group of so-called "dissociated" patients presented significant lower mean antibody titers against epimastigote but not trypomastigote stages than did sera from 14 untreated patients (P less than 0.01). Most of the antibodies against trypomastigotes, including the residual levels found in cured patients, were absorbed by mouse laminin. In fact, significantly higher titers of anti-laminin antibodies were observed in sera from untreated chagasic patients (1.131 +/- 0.458) and cured patients (1.103 +/- 0.572) than in sera from eight normal individuals (0.459 +/- 0.402) (P less than 0.01). The anti-laminin titers were higher in sera of patients of blood group A or O than in those of patients of group B or AB. In Western blotting (immunoblotting) analysis against trypomastigotes, sera from chronic untreated patients recognized many polypeptide bands ranging from 26 to 160 kilodaltons, whereas no protein bands were observed with sera from cured patients. Only faint bands of parasite proteins were observed with sera of dissociated patients. In conjunction, the above data suggest that the anti-trypomastigote antibodies which persist after parasitological cure of patients with Chagas' disease are due mainly to cross-reactive epitopes from mouse laminin. PMID:3141467
Roles of TauT and system A in cytoprotection of rat syncytiotrophoblast cell line exposed to hypertonic stress.
Nishimura, T; Sai, Y; Fujii, J; Muta, M; Iizasa, H; Tomi, M; Deureh, M; Kose, N; Nakashima, E
The purpose of this study was to clarify the cytoprotective mechanism(s) induced in a conditionally immortalized syncytiotrophoblast cell line (TR-TBT 18d-1) exposed to hypertonic conditions. Hypertonicity-induced apoptosis of TR-TBT 18d-1 cells, but this was blocked by addition of 1 mM taurine to the culture medium. TauT-knockdown using siRNA revealed that TauT is a major contributor to taurine uptake by TR-TBT 18d-1 cells, at least under normal conditions. Cellular uptake of [(3)H]taurine and [(14)C]betaine by TR-TBT 18d-1 cells cultured under hypertonic conditions was increased compared to that under normal conditions. TauT, BGT-1, ATA2 and HSP70 mRNAs were upregulated by hypertonicity, while OCTN2, ENT1 and CNT1 mRNAs were downregulated. [(3)H]Taurine uptake was strongly inhibited by TauT inhibitors such as hypotaurine and β-alanine. MeAIB, a system A specific substrate, inhibited hypertonic stress-induced [(14)C]betaine uptake. These results suggest that TauT and system A play cytoprotective roles in syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to hypertonic stress. PMID:20801504
Enteric Neuronal Damage, Intramuscular Denervation and Smooth Muscle Phenotype Changes as Mechanisms of Chagasic Megacolon: Evidence from a Long-Term Murine Model of Tripanosoma cruzi Infection
Duz, Ana Luiza Cassin; Cartelle, Christiane Teixeira; Noviello, Maria de Lourdes; Veloso, Vanja Maria; Bahia, Maria Terezinha; Almeida-Leite, Camila Megale; Arantes, Rosa Maria Esteves
We developed a novel murine model of long-term infection with Trypanosoma cruzi with the aim to elucidate the pathogenesis of megacolon and the associated adaptive and neuromuscular intestinal disorders. Our intent was to produce a chronic stage of the disease since the early treatment should avoid 100% mortality of untreated animals at acute phase. Treatment allowed animals to be kept infected and alive in order to develop the chronic phase of infection with low parasitism as in human disease. A group of Swiss mice was infected with the Y strain of T. cruzi. At the 11th day after infection, a sub-group was euthanized (acute-phase group) and another sub-group was treated with benznidazole and euthanized 15 months after infection (chronic-phase group). Whole colon samples were harvested and used for studying the histopathology of the intestinal smooth muscle and the plasticity of the enteric nerves. In the acute phase, all animals presented inflammatory lesions associated with intense and diffuse parasitism of the muscular and submucosa layers, which were enlarged when compared with the controls. The occurrence of intense degenerative inflammatory changes and increased reticular fibers suggests inflammatory-induced necrosis of muscle cells. In the chronic phase, parasitism was insignificant; however, the architecture of Aüerbach plexuses was focally affected in the inflamed areas, and a significant decrease in the number of neurons and in the density of intramuscular nerve bundles was detected. Other changes observed included increased thickness of the colon wall, diffuse muscle cell hypertrophy, and increased collagen deposition, indicating early fibrosis in the damaged areas. Mast cell count significantly increased in the muscular layers. We propose a model for studying the long-term (15 months) pathogenesis of Chagasic megacolon in mice that mimics the human disease, which persists for several years and has not been fully elucidated. We hypothesize that the long
Enteric Neuronal Damage, Intramuscular Denervation and Smooth Muscle Phenotype Changes as Mechanisms of Chagasic Megacolon: Evidence from a Long-Term Murine Model of Tripanosoma cruzi Infection.
Campos, Camila França; Cangussú, Silvia Dantas; Duz, Ana Luiza Cassin; Cartelle, Christiane Teixeira; Noviello, Maria de Lourdes; Veloso, Vanja Maria; Bahia, Maria Terezinha; Almeida-Leite, Camila Megale; Arantes, Rosa Maria Esteves
We developed a novel murine model of long-term infection with Trypanosoma cruzi with the aim to elucidate the pathogenesis of megacolon and the associated adaptive and neuromuscular intestinal disorders. Our intent was to produce a chronic stage of the disease since the early treatment should avoid 100% mortality of untreated animals at acute phase. Treatment allowed animals to be kept infected and alive in order to develop the chronic phase of infection with low parasitism as in human disease. A group of Swiss mice was infected with the Y strain of T. cruzi. At the 11th day after infection, a sub-group was euthanized (acute-phase group) and another sub-group was treated with benznidazole and euthanized 15 months after infection (chronic-phase group). Whole colon samples were harvested and used for studying the histopathology of the intestinal smooth muscle and the plasticity of the enteric nerves. In the acute phase, all animals presented inflammatory lesions associated with intense and diffuse parasitism of the muscular and submucosa layers, which were enlarged when compared with the controls. The occurrence of intense degenerative inflammatory changes and increased reticular fibers suggests inflammatory-induced necrosis of muscle cells. In the chronic phase, parasitism was insignificant; however, the architecture of Aüerbach plexuses was focally affected in the inflamed areas, and a significant decrease in the number of neurons and in the density of intramuscular nerve bundles was detected. Other changes observed included increased thickness of the colon wall, diffuse muscle cell hypertrophy, and increased collagen deposition, indicating early fibrosis in the damaged areas. Mast cell count significantly increased in the muscular layers. We propose a model for studying the long-term (15 months) pathogenesis of Chagasic megacolon in mice that mimics the human disease, which persists for several years and has not been fully elucidated. We hypothesize that the long
Clinical and Echocardiographic Predictors of Mortality in Chagasic Cardiomyopathy - Systematic Review
Pereira, Clodoval de Barros; Markman, Brivaldo
Diagnosis, prognosis and evaluation of death risk in Chagas cardiomyopathy still constitute a challenge due to the diversity of manifestations, which determine the importance of using echocardiography, tissue Doppler and biomarkers. To evaluate, within a systematic review, clinical and echocardiographic profiles of patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy, which may be related to worse prognosis and major mortality risk. To perform the systematic review, we used Medline (via PubMed), LILACS and SciELO databases to identify 82 articles published from 1991 to 2012, with the following descriptors: echocardiography, mortality and Chagas disease. We selected 31 original articles, involving diagnostic and prognostic methods. The importance of Chagas disease has increased due to its emergence in Europe and United States, but most evidence came from Brazil. Among the predictors of worse prognosis and higher mortality risk are morphological and functional alterations in the left and right ventricles, evaluated by conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler, as well as the increase in brain natriuretic peptide and troponin I concentrations. Recently, the evaluations of dyssynchrony, dysautonomia, as well as strain, strain rate and myocardial twisting were added to the diagnostic arsenal for the early differentiation of Chagas cardiomyopathy. Developments in imaging and biochemical diagnostic procedures have enabled more detailed cardiac evaluations, which demonstrate the early involvement of both ventricles, allowing a more accurate assessment of the mortality risk in Chagas disease. PMID:25004422
Elevated levels of antibodies against sulphatide are present in all chronic chagasic and dilated cardiomyopathy sera.
Avila, J L; Rojas, M; Carrasco, H
A natural anti-sulphatide antibody was found to be present in the serum of every normal individual studied. The reactivity of the antibody was assessed by its interaction with galactosylceramide-I3-sulphate. Antigen-antibody binding was strongly blocked by 1 mM heparin, dextran sulphate and chondroitin sulphate A, and by 5 mM chondroitin sulphate B. Antibodies avidly absorb to rabbit erythrocytes, but discretely to rat erythrocytes, suggesting that they are different from galactocerebroside antibodies. Elevated levels of sulphatide antibodies were present in all of 102 chronic Trypanosoma cruzi-infected patients studied, but not in other patients having cutaneous or visceral leishmaniasis, T. rangeli infection or several other protozoal, helminthic or mycotic infections. Interestingly, 100% of 40 dilated cardiomyopathy patients also have elevated levels of sulphatide antibodies. As T. cruzi is rich in galactocerebroside sulphate, it is proposed that in chagasic patients this glycolipid could act as an immunogen, inducing elevated titres of sulphatide antibodies, which could be important in the pathogenesis of cardiac or peripheral nerve symptoms. PMID:8513577
Abundance of megalin and Dab2 is reduced in syncytiotrophoblast during placental malaria, which may contribute to low birth weight
Lybbert, Jared; Gullingsrud, Justin; Chesnokov, Olga; Turyakira, Eleanor; Dhorda, Mehul; Guerin, Philippe J.; Piola, Patrice; Muehlenbachs, Atis; Oleinikov, Andrew V.
Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum contributes to ~200,000 child deaths annually, mainly due to low birth weight (LBW). Parasitized erythrocyte sequestration and consequent inflammation in the placenta are common attributes of placental malaria. The precise molecular details of placental changes leading to LBW are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that placental malaria may disturb maternofetal exchange of vitamins, lipids, and hormones mediated by the multi-ligand (n ~ 50) scavenging/signaling receptor megalin, which is abundantly expressed in placenta but was not previously analyzed in pregnancy outcomes. We studied abundance of megalin and its intracellular adaptor protein Dab2 by immunofluorescence microscopy in placental biopsies from Ugandan women with (n = 8) and without (n = 20) active placental malaria. We found that: (a) abundances of both megalin (p = 0.01) and Dab2 (p = 0.006) were significantly reduced in brush border of syncytiotrophoblast of infected placentas; (b) amounts of megalin and Dab2 were strongly correlated (Spearman's r = 0.53, p = 0.003); (c) abundances of megalin and Dab2 (p = 0.046) were reduced in infected placentas from women with LBW deliveries. This study provides first evidence that placental malaria infection is associated with reduced abundance of megalin transport/signaling system and indicate that these changes may contribute to the pathology of LBW. PMID:27072056
BUCCHERI, Renata; KASSAB, Maria José; de FREITAS, Vera Lucia Teixeira; da SILVA, Sheila Cristina Vicente; BEZERRA, Rita C.; KHOURY, Zarifa; SHIKANAI-YASUDA, Maria Aparecida; VIDAL, José E.
The reactivation of Chagas disease in HIV infected patients presents high mortality and morbidity. We present the case of a female patient with confirmed Chagasic meningoencephalitis as AIDS-defining illness. Interestingly, her TCD4+ lymphocyte cell count was 318 cells/mm3. After two months of induction therapy, one year of maintenance with benznidazol, and early introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the patient had good clinical, parasitological and radiological evolution. We used a qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the monitoring of T. cruzi parasitemia during and after the treatment. We emphasize the potential value of molecular techniques along with clinical and radiological parameters in the follow-up of patients with Chagas disease and HIV infection. Early introduction of HAART, prolonged induction and maintenance of antiparasitic therapy, and its discontinuation are feasible, in the current management of reactivation of Chagas disease. PMID:27049711
Buccheri, Renata; Kassab, Maria José; Freitas, Vera Lucia Teixeira de; Silva, Sheila Cristina Vicente da; Bezerra, Rita C; Khoury, Zarifa; Shikanai-Yasuda, Maria Aparecida; Vidal, José E
The reactivation of Chagas disease in HIV infected patients presents high mortality and morbidity. We present the case of a female patient with confirmed Chagasic meningoencephalitis as AIDS-defining illness. Interestingly, her TCD4+ lymphocyte cell count was 318 cells/mm3. After two months of induction therapy, one year of maintenance with benznidazol, and early introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the patient had good clinical, parasitological and radiological evolution. We used a qualitative polymerase chain reaction for the monitoring of T. cruzi parasitemia during and after the treatment. We emphasize the potential value of molecular techniques along with clinical and radiological parameters in the follow-up of patients with Chagas disease and HIV infection. Early introduction of HAART, prolonged induction and maintenance of antiparasitic therapy, and its discontinuation are feasible, in the current management of reactivation of Chagas disease. PMID:27049711
Antibodies with beta-adrenergic activity from chronic chagasic patients modulate the QT interval and M cell action potential duration
Medei, Emiliano Horacio; Nascimento, José H.M.; Pedrosa, Roberto C.; Barcellos, Luciane; Masuda, Masako O.; Sicouri, Serge; Elizari, Marcelo V.; Campos de Carvalho, Antonio C.
Aims The aim of this study was to investigate whether the sera from chronic chagasic patients (CChPs) with beta-1 adrenergic activity (Ab-β) can modulate ventricular repolarization. Beta-adrenergic activity has been described in CChP. It increases the L-type calcium current and heart rate in isolated hearts, but its effects on ventricular repolarization has not been described. Methods and results In isolated rabbit hearts, under pacing condition, QT interval was measured under Ab-β perfusion. Beta-adrenergic activity was also tested in guinea pig ventricular M cells. Furthermore, the immunoglobulin fraction (IgG-β) of the Ab-β was tested on Ito, ICa, and Iks currents in rat, rabbit, and guinea pig myocytes, respectively. Beta-adrenergic activity shortened the QT interval. This effect was abolished in the presence of propranolol. In addition, sera from CChP without beta-adrenergic activity (Ab-β) did not modulate QT interval. The M cell action potential duration (APD) was reversibly shortened by Ab-β. Atenolol inhibited this effect of Ab-β, and Ab- did not modulate the AP of M cells. Ito was not modulated by isoproterenol nor by IgG-β. However, IgG-β increased ICa and IKs. Conclusion The shortening of the QT interval and APD in M cells and the increase of IKs and ICa induced by IgG-β contribute to repolarization changes that may trigger malignant ventricular arrhythmias observed in patients with chronic chagasic or idiopathic cardiomyopathy. PMID:18515284
Temporal expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inducible nitric oxide synthase in experimental acute Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Chandrasekar, B.; Melby, P. C.; Troyer, D. A.; Colston, J. T.; Freeman, G. L.
To characterize the kinetics of myocardial cytokine and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression in acute Chagasic cardiomyopathy, we studied a rat model of acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Rats were euthanized 36 hours and 5, 10, and 15 days after infection, and hearts were collected for histology, mRNA, and protein analyses. Histological analysis of myocardium showed a progressive increase in the number of amastigotes and mononuclear inflammatory cells. Organisms were first detected 5 days after intraperitoneal inoculation as isolated nests and became numerous by day 15. Northern blot analysis of total RNA revealed no signal for interleukin (IL)-1beta or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and a weak signal for IL-6 in control hearts. High levels of expression for the three genes were detected in the infected animals at 36 hours after infection. Although IL-1beta and IL-6 levels increased steadily up to 10 days, TNF-alpha levels were the highest at 5 days, remained high at 10 days, and declined thereafter. Western blot analysis showed similar results to that of mRNA expression. No signal was detected for iNOS in the controls, but both its mRNA and protein were found in the infected animals, with levels being highest at 15 days after infection. Immunohistochemistry revealed no iNOS immunoreactivity in uninfected animals, but intense iNOS staining was detected in blood vessels of infected animals, which decreased progressively with period of infection. Positive staining for iNOS in cardiomyocytes was first detected at 36 hours after infection (at a time when there was no histological inflammatory reaction), which steadily increased, being the highest at 15 days after infection. These results indicate that, in addition to mechanical damage by T. cruzi, substantial pro-inflammatory cytokine production within the myocardium is likely to participate in the pathophysiology of acute Chagasic cardiomyopathy. Images Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7
[Risk factors associated with the diagnosis of chronic Chagasic miocardiopathy in seropositive individuals from Barinas state, Venezuela].
González, Beatriz; Silva, Martha; Al-Atrache, Yusra; Delgado, Yelitze; Serrano, José Luis; Doccimo, Angelina; Hernández, Huber; Verde, Juan; Morillo, Daniela; Marín, Jaime; Concepción, Juan Luis; Bonfante-Cabarcas, Rafael; Rodríguez-Bonfante, Claudina
This study evaluates the risk factors associated with the diagnosis of chronic chagasic miocardiopathy (CChM) in 115 seropositive individuals to anti-Trypanosoma cruzi antibodies, in Barinas state, Venezuela. Serology was performed with ELISA and MABA; while the CChM diagnosis was established by electrocardiography and echocardiography. A complete clinical history including epidemiological, personal/familiar antecedents and psychobiological habits, plus socioeconomic, psychosocial and alimentary habits interviews were performed for each individual. Risk factors were determined through binary logistic regression. Results showed that 81 patients (70,4%; CI 95% = 66.4-74.4) had criteria for CChM, of which 74 (64.4%; IC 95% = 60.2-68.6) were in phase II; while 34 (29.6%; IC 95% = 25.5-33.5) were in phase I of the disease and 7 (6.1%; IC 95% = 4.0-8.2) in phase III. In a one year period, two patients in phase III died of heart failure. The diagnosis of CChM was associated with hunting practice, maternal history of cardiopathies, chewing chimó, medical history of hypertension and apex beat visible; it was negatively associated with canned and preserved foods ingest. In conclusion the CChM diagnosis has high frequency in seropositive individuals in Barinas and heart failure prevention must be based on an early medical attention and educative strategies in order to control risk factors. PMID:24974628
Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Background Chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy is an inflammatory disease that occurs in approximately 30% of patients infected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, and it has a profile of high morbidity and mortality. The worst prognosis and the progression of this cardiomyopathy are associated with an exacerbated immune response and the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which also occur in other cardiomyopathies. Some nutrients, including omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), promote the inhibition and/or stimulation of cytokine production. The objective of this trial is to study the effects of omega-3 PUFA supplementation on the inflammatory response and lipid profile in patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy. Methods/Design This is a parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial with 40 patients that will be conducted at a reference unit for Chagas disease patients, where the patients will be selected. The study will include patients with chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy who are 18 years of age or older. The exclusion criteria are (a) ongoing diarrheal disease, (b) inflammatory bowel disease, (c) diabetes or other endocrine disease, (d) use of fibrates, niacin, or statins, (e) use of anti-inflammatory drugs, (f) pregnant and lactating women, (g) use of vitamin, mineral, or omega-3 supplementation during the previous 30 days, (h) hospital admission during the study, and (i) other associated cardiomyopathies. The intervention will be treatment with omega-3 PUFAs at a dose of 3 g/day for 8 weeks, compared to placebo (corn oil). The primary endpoints will be the concentrations of inflammatory markers (interleukin (IL)-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interferon (IFN)γ, and transforming growth factor (TGF)β). Secondary endpoints will be the fasting glucose, lipid, and anthropometric profiles. For statistical analysis, we plan to run either a t test or Wilcoxon test (numerical variables) and
Sera of chagasic patients react with antigens from the tomato parasite Phytomonas serpens.
Graça-de Souza, Viviane K; Monteiro-Góes, Viviane; Manque, Patrício; Souza, Tatiana A C B; Corrêa, Paulo R C; Buck, Gregory A; Ávila, Andréa R; Yamauchi, Lucy M; Pinge-Filho, Phileno; Goldenberg, Samuel; Krieger, Marco A; Yamada-Ogatta, Sueli F
The genus Phytomonas comprises trypanosomatids that can parasitize a broad range of plant species. These flagellates can cause diseases in some plant families with a wide geographic distribution, which can result in great economic losses. We have demonstrated previously that Phytomonas serpens 15T, a tomato trypanosomatid, shares antigens with Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of human Chagas disease. Herein, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and mass spectrometry (MS) were used to identify proteins of P. serpens 15T that are recognized by sera from patients with Chagas disease. After 2D-electrophoresis of whole-cell lysates, 31 peptides were selected and analyzed by tandem mass spectrometry. Twenty-eight polypeptides were identified, resulting in 22 different putative proteins. The identified proteins were classified into 8 groups according to biological process, most of which were clustered into a cellular metabolic process category. These results generated a collection of proteins that can provide a starting point to obtain insights into antigenic cross reactivity among trypanosomatids and to explore P. serpens antigens as candidates for vaccine and immunologic diagnosis studies. PMID:21031268
Evaluation of VDR gene polymorphisms in Trypanosoma cruzi infection and chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy
Leon Rodriguez, Daniel A; Carmona, F David; González, Clara Isabel; Martin, Javier
Vitamin D is an important modulator of the immune response. It acts over several immune cell types where the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed. Due to the high relevance of this signaling pathway, several studies have investigated the possible influence of genes involved in the metabolism of Vitamin D and its receptor in different human diseases. Here, we analyzed whether four single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the VDR gene (rs731236, rs7975232, rs1544410 and rs2228570) are involved in the susceptibility to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and/or to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) in a Colombian endemic population for this parasite. Our results showed that the rs2228570*A allele is associated with CCC development (P = 4.46E−03, OR = 1.51). In summary, the data presented in this report suggest that variation within the VDR gene may affect the immune response against T. cruzi, increasing the probability of cardiac complications in infected individuals. PMID:27502545
Evaluation of VDR gene polymorphisms in Trypanosoma cruzi infection and chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy.
Leon Rodriguez, Daniel A; Carmona, F David; González, Clara Isabel; Martin, Javier
Vitamin D is an important modulator of the immune response. It acts over several immune cell types where the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is expressed. Due to the high relevance of this signaling pathway, several studies have investigated the possible influence of genes involved in the metabolism of Vitamin D and its receptor in different human diseases. Here, we analyzed whether four single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the VDR gene (rs731236, rs7975232, rs1544410 and rs2228570) are involved in the susceptibility to infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and/or to chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) in a Colombian endemic population for this parasite. Our results showed that the rs2228570*A allele is associated with CCC development (P = 4.46E-03, OR = 1.51). In summary, the data presented in this report suggest that variation within the VDR gene may affect the immune response against T. cruzi, increasing the probability of cardiac complications in infected individuals. PMID:27502545
Bromodichloromethane inhibits human placental trophoblast differentiation.
Chen, Jiangang; Thirkill, Twanda L; Lohstroh, Peter N; Bielmeier, Susan R; Narotsky, Michael G; Best, Deborah S; Harrison, Randy A; Natarajan, Kala; Pegram, Rex A; Overstreet, James W; Lasley, Bill L; Douglas, Gordon C
Epidemiological data suggest an association between exposures to bromodichloromethane (BDCM), a trihalomethane found in drinking water as a result of drinking water disinfection, and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion. We previously hypothesized that BDCM targets the placenta and showed that the secretion of chorionic gonadotrophin (CG) was reduced in primary cultures of human term syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to BDCM. In the present study we extend this observation by evaluating the effects of BDCM on the morphological differentiation of mononucleated cytotrophoblast cells to multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast-like colonies. Addition of BDCM to cytotrophoblast cultures inhibited the subsequent formation of multinucleated colonies in a dose-dependent manner, as determined by immunocytochemical staining for desmosomes and nuclei. The effect was seen at BDCM concentrations between 0.02 and 2 mM and was confirmed by quantitative image analysis. Secretion of bioactive and immunoreactive chorionic gonadotropin was also significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner under these culture conditions, and cellular levels of CG were also reduced. Trophoblast viability was not compromised by exposure to BDCM. We conclude that BDCM disrupts syncytiotrophoblast formation and inhibits CG secretion in vitro. Although other tissue targets are not ruled out, these data substantiate the idea that BDCM targets the placenta and could have implications for understanding the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with BDCM exposure in humans. PMID:14691210
Autophagy in Normal and Abnormal Early Human Pregnancies.
Avagliano, Laura; Terraneo, Laura; Virgili, Eleonora; Martinelli, Carla; Doi, Patrizia; Samaja, Michele; Bulfamante, Gaetano Pietro; Marconi, Anna Maria
Autophagy is an inducible catabolic process by which cells degrade and recycle materials to survive stress, starvation, and hypoxia. The aim of this study was to evaluate autophagy at the fetal-maternal interface, to assess autophagy involvement during the early phase of human gestation, and to explore autophagic modification in case of early abnormal pregnancy outcome. Specimens were collected from first-trimester normal gestations undergoing legal termination of pregnancy and first-trimester sporadic spontaneous miscarriages. Autophagy was studied in villous and decidual samples by transmission electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. Autophagy markers were found in cytotrophoblast, syncytiotrophoblast, extravillous trophoblast, and decidual stromal cells. Autophagy is physiologically involved in early normal gestation. Compared with normal pregnancy, spontaneous miscarriage presents an increase in autophagy expression in villous specimens due to an increment in concentration of autophagic vacuole in syncytiotrophoblast, suggesting a cytoprotective mechanism of the cells to respond to microenvironmental challenge. PMID:25544676
Low Frequency of Circulating CD8+ T Stem Cell Memory Cells in Chronic Chagasic Patients with Severe Forms of the Disease
Mateus, Jose; Lasso, Paola; Pavia, Paula; Rosas, Fernando; Roa, Nubia; Valencia-Hernández, Carlos Andrés; González, John Mario; Puerta, Concepción J.; Cuéllar, Adriana
Background CD8+ T cells have been shown to play a crucial role in Trypanosoma cruzi infection. Memory CD8+ T cells can be categorised based on their distinct differentiation stages and functional activities as follows: stem cell memory (TSCM), central memory (TCM), transitional memory (TTM), effector memory (TEM) and terminal effector (TTE) cells. Currently, the immune mechanisms that control T. cruzi in the chronic phase of the infection are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings To characterise the CD8+ T cell subsets that could be participating in the control of T. cruzi infection, in this study, we compared total and T. cruzi-specific circulating CD8+ T cells with distinctive phenotypic and functional features in chronic chagasic patients (CCPs) with different degrees of cardiac dysfunction. We observed a decreased frequency of total TSCM along with an increased frequency of TTE in CCPs with severe disease. Antigen-specific TSCM cells were not detectable in CCPs with severe forms of the disease. A functional profile of CD8+ T cell subsets among CCPs revealed a high frequency of monofunctional CD8+ T cells in the most severe patients with IFN-γ+- or TNF-α+-producing cells. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that CD8+ TSCM cells may be associated with the immune response to T. cruzi and outcome of Chagas disease, given that these cells may be involved in repopulating the T cell pool that controls infection. PMID:25569149
Mechanisms of alphafetoprotein transfer in the perfused human placental cotyledon from uncomplicated pregnancy.
Brownbill, P; Edwards, D; Jones, C; Mahendran, D; Owen, D; Sibley, C; Johnson, R; Swanson, P; Nelson, D M
We investigated the mechanisms of alphafetoprotein (AFP) transfer across the human placenta by correlating measurements of AFP transfer with cytochemical localization of AFP. Placental cotyledons were dually perfused in vitro with either the fetal or maternal perfusate containing umbilical cord plasma as a source of AFP. Steady state AFP clearance, corrected for release of endogenous AFP, was 0.973 +/- 0.292 microliter/min per gram in the fetal to maternal direction (n = 10), significantly higher (P < 0.02) than that in the maternal to fetal direction (n = 5; 0.022 +/- 0.013 microliter/min per gram). Clearance of a similarly sized protein, horseradish peroxidase was also asymmetric but clearance of the small tracer creatinine was not. Using a monoclonal antibody, we localized AFP to fibrinoid deposits in regions of villi with discontinuities of the syncytiotrophoblast, to cytotrophoblast cells in these deposits, to syncytiotrophoblast on some villi, and to trophoblast cells in the decidua. We conclude that AFP transfer in the placenta is asymmetric and that there are two available pathways for AFP transfer: (a) from the fetal circulation into the villous core and across fibrinoid deposits at discontinuities in the villous syncytiotrophoblast to enter the maternal circulation; and (b) AFP present in the decidua could enter vessels that traverse the basal plate. Images PMID:7593608
Human Leucocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) and Its Murine Functional Homolog Qa2 in the Trypanosoma cruzi Infection
Dias, Fabrício C.; Mendes-Junior, Celso T.; Silva, Maria C.; Tristão, Fabrine S. M.; Dellalibera-Joviliano, Renata; Soares, Edson G.; Menezes, Jean G.; Schmidt, André; Dantas, Roberto O.; Marin-Neto, José A.; Silva, João S.; Donadi, Eduardo A.
Genetic susceptibility factors, parasite strain, and an adequate modulation of the immune system seem to be crucial for disease progression after Trypanosoma cruzi infection. HLA-G and its murine functional homolog Qa2 have well-recognized immunomodulatory properties. We evaluated the HLA-G 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) polymorphic sites (associated with mRNA stability and target for microRNA binding) and HLA-G tissue expression (heart, colon, and esophagus) in patients presenting Chagas disease, stratified according to the major clinical variants. Further, we investigated the transcriptional levels of Qa2 and other pro- and anti-inflammatory genes in affected mouse tissues during T. cruzi experimental acute and early chronic infection induced by the CL strain. Chagas disease patients exhibited differential HLA-G 3′UTR susceptibility allele/genotype/haplotype patterns, according to the major clinical variant (digestive/cardiac/mixed/indeterminate). HLA-G constitutive expression on cardiac muscle and colonic cells was decreased in Chagasic tissues; however, no difference was observed for Chagasic and non-Chagasic esophagus tissues. The transcriptional levels of Qa2 and other anti and proinflammatory (CTLA-4, PDCD1, IL-10, INF-γ, and NOS-2) genes were induced only during the acute T. cruzi infection in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. We present several lines of evidence indicating the role of immunomodulatory genes and molecules in human and experimental T. cruzi infection. PMID:25688175
Roles of CDX2 and EOMES in human induced trophoblast progenitor cells
Chen, Ying; Wang, Kai; Gong, Yun Guo; Khoo, Sok Kean; Leach, Richard
Highlights: ► CDX2 and EOMES play critical roles in human induced trophoblast progenitors (iTP). ► iTP cells directly transformed from fibroblasts. ► Differentiation of iTP cells into extravillous trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. -- Abstract: Abnormal trophoblast lineage proliferation and differentiation in early pregnancy have been associated with the pathogenesis of placenta diseases of pregnancy. However, there is still a gap in understanding the molecular mechanisms of early placental development due to the limited primary trophoblast cultures and fidelity of immortalized trophoblast lines. Trophoblasts stem (TS) cells, an in vitro model of trophectoderm that can differentiate into syncytiotrophoblasts and extravillous trophoblasts, can be an attractive tool for early pregnancy research. TS cells are well established in mouse but not in humans due to insufficient knowledge of which trophoblast lineage-specific transcription factors are involved in human trophectoderm (TE) proliferation and differentiation. Here, we applied induced pluripotent stem cell technique to investigate the human trophoblast lineage-specific transcription factors. We established human induced trophoblast progenitor (iTP) cells by direct reprogramming the fibroblasts with a pool of mouse trophoblast lineage-specific transcription factors consisting of CDX2, EOMES, and ELF5. The human iTP cells exhibit epithelial morphology and can be maintained in vitro for more than 2 months. Gene expression profile of these cells was tightly clustered with human trophectoderm but not with human neuron progenitor cells, mesenchymal stem cells, or endoderm cells. These cells are capable of differentiating into cells with an invasive capacity, suggesting extravillous trophoblasts. They also form multi-nucleated cells which secrete human chorionic gonadotropin and estradiol, consistent with a syncytiotrophoblast phenotype. Our results provide the evidence that transcription factors CDX2 and
Trypanosoma cruzi invades host cells through the activation of endothelin and bradykinin receptors: a converging pathway leading to chagasic vasculopathy
Andrade, Daniele; Serra, Rafaela; Svensjö, Erik; Lima, Ana Paula C; Ramos Junior, Erivan S; Fortes, Fabio S; Morandini, Ana Carolina F; Morandi, Verônica; Soeiro, Maria de N; Tanowitz, Herbert B; Scharfstein, Julio
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Independent studies in experimental models of Trypanosoma cruzi appointed different roles for endothelin-1 (ET-1) and bradykinin (BK) in the immunopathogenesis of Chagas disease. Here, we addressed the hypothesis that pathogenic outcome is influenced by functional interplay between endothelin receptors (ETAR and ETBR) and bradykinin B2 receptors (B2R). EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Intravital microscopy was used to determine whether ETR/B2R drives the accumulation of rhodamine-labelled leucocytes in the hamster cheek pouch (HCP). Inflammatory oedema was measured in the infected BALB/c paw of mice. Parasite invasion was assessed in CHO over-expressing ETRs, mouse cardiomyocytes, endothelium (human umbilical vein endothelial cells) or smooth muscle cells (HSMCs), in the presence/absence of antagonists of B2R (HOE-140), ETAR (BQ-123) and ETBR (BQ-788), specific IgG antibodies to each GPCRs; cholesterol or calcium-depleting drugs. RNA interference (ETAR or ETBR genes) in parasite infectivity was investigated in HSMCs. KEY RESULTS BQ-123, BQ-788 and HOE-140 reduced leucocyte accumulation in HCP topically exposed to trypomastigotes and blocked inflammatory oedema in infected mice. Acting synergistically, ETAR and ETBR antagonists reduced parasite invasion of HSMCs to the same extent as HOE-140. Exogenous ET-1 potentiated T. cruzi uptake by HSMCs via ETRs/B2R, whereas RNA interference of ETAR and ETBR genes conversely reduced parasite internalization. ETRs/B2R-driven infection in HSMCs was reduced in HSMC pretreated with methyl-β-cyclodextrin, a cholesterol-depleting drug, or in thapsigargin- or verapamil-treated target cells. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our findings suggest that plasma leakage, a neutrophil-driven inflammatory response evoked by trypomastigotes via the kinin/endothelin pathways, may offer a window of opportunity for enhanced parasite invasion of cardiovascular cells. LINKED ARTICLE This paper is commented on by D'Orléans-Juste et al
Store-operated Ca2+ entry in first trimester and term human placenta.
Clarson, L H; Roberts, V H J; Hamark, B; Elliott, A C; Powell, T
We have examined whether store-operated Ca2+ entry, a common pathway for Ca2+ entry in non-excitable tissue, is apparent in the syncytiotrophoblast of both first trimester and term human placenta. Expression of transient receptor potential (TRPC) homologues, a family of channels thought to be involved in store-operated Ca2+ entry, was also studied at the mRNA and protein levels. [Ca2+]i in syncytiotrophoblast of first trimester and term placental villous fragments was measured by microfluorimetry using the Ca2+-sensitive dye fura-2. Store-operated Ca2+ entry was stimulated using 1 microM thapsigargin in Ca(2+)-free Tyrode buffer (no added Ca2+ + 1 mM EGTA) followed by superfusion with control (Ca2+-containing) buffer. In term fragments, this protocol resulted in a rapid increase in [Ca2+]i, which was inhibited in the presence of 150 microM GdCl3, 200 microM NiCl2, 200 microM CoCl2 or 30 microM SKF96365 but was unaffected by addition of 10 microM nifedipine. It was not possible to stimulate such a rise in [Ca2+]i in first trimester fragments. Messenger RNA encoding TRPC1, TRPC3, TRPC4, TRPC5 and TRPC6 was identified in both first trimester and term placentas. From Western blotting, TRPC3 and TRPC6 proteins were detected in term, but not in first trimester, placentas, while TRPC1 protein was not detected. By immunocytochemistry, TRPC3 and TRPC4 were localised to cytotrophoblast cells in first trimester placentas and to the syncytiotrophoblast in term placentas. TRPC6 staining was present in the syncytiotrophoblast of both first trimester and term placenta, but the intensity was much greater in the latter. We propose that store-operated Ca2+ entry may be an important route for Ca2+ entry into the syncytiotrophoblast of term, but not first trimester placentas, and that in human placenta TRPC channels may underlie this entry mechanism. PMID:12766233
Oxygen-Sensitive K+ Channels Modulate Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Secretion from Human Placental Trophoblast
Díaz, Paula; Sibley, Colin P.; Greenwood, Susan L.
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a key autocrine/paracrine regulator of placental syncytiotrophoblast, the transport epithelium of the human placenta. Syncytiotrophoblast hCG secretion is modulated by the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and potassium (K+) channels. Here we test the hypothesis that K+ channels mediate the effects of pO2 and ROS on hCG secretion. Placental villous explants from normal term pregnancies were cultured for 6 days at 6% (normoxia), 21% (hyperoxia) or 1% (hypoxia) pO2. On days 3–5, explants were treated with 5mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) or tetraethylammonium (TEA), blockers of pO2-sensitive voltage-gated K+ (KV) channels, or ROS (10–1000μM H2O2). hCG secretion and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, a marker of necrosis, were determined daily. At day 6, hCG and LDH were measured in tissue lysate and 86Rb (K+) efflux assessed to estimate syncytiotrophoblast K+ permeability. hCG secretion and 86Rb efflux were significantly greater in explants maintained in 21% pO2 than normoxia. 4-AP/TEA inhibited hCG secretion to a greater extent at 21% than 6% and 1% pO2, and reduced 86Rb efflux at 21% but not 6% pO2. LDH release and tissue LDH/hCG were similar in 6%, 21% and 1% pO2 and unaffected by 4-AP/TEA. H2O2 stimulated 86Rb efflux and hCG secretion at normoxia but decreased 86Rb efflux, without affecting hCG secretion, at 21% pO2. 4-AP/TEA-sensitive K+ channels participate in pO2-sensitive hCG secretion from syncytiotrophoblast. ROS effects on both hCG secretion and 86Rb efflux are pO2-dependent but causal links between the two remain to be established. PMID:26863525
Oxygen-Sensitive K+ Channels Modulate Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Secretion from Human Placental Trophoblast.
Díaz, Paula; Sibley, Colin P; Greenwood, Susan L
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a key autocrine/paracrine regulator of placental syncytiotrophoblast, the transport epithelium of the human placenta. Syncytiotrophoblast hCG secretion is modulated by the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and potassium (K+) channels. Here we test the hypothesis that K+ channels mediate the effects of pO2 and ROS on hCG secretion. Placental villous explants from normal term pregnancies were cultured for 6 days at 6% (normoxia), 21% (hyperoxia) or 1% (hypoxia) pO2. On days 3-5, explants were treated with 5mM 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) or tetraethylammonium (TEA), blockers of pO2-sensitive voltage-gated K+ (KV) channels, or ROS (10-1000μM H2O2). hCG secretion and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, a marker of necrosis, were determined daily. At day 6, hCG and LDH were measured in tissue lysate and 86Rb (K+) efflux assessed to estimate syncytiotrophoblast K+ permeability. hCG secretion and 86Rb efflux were significantly greater in explants maintained in 21% pO2 than normoxia. 4-AP/TEA inhibited hCG secretion to a greater extent at 21% than 6% and 1% pO2, and reduced 86Rb efflux at 21% but not 6% pO2. LDH release and tissue LDH/hCG were similar in 6%, 21% and 1% pO2 and unaffected by 4-AP/TEA. H2O2 stimulated 86Rb efflux and hCG secretion at normoxia but decreased 86Rb efflux, without affecting hCG secretion, at 21% pO2. 4-AP/TEA-sensitive K+ channels participate in pO2-sensitive hCG secretion from syncytiotrophoblast. ROS effects on both hCG secretion and 86Rb efflux are pO2-dependent but causal links between the two remain to be established. PMID:26863525
D21S418E identifies a cAMP-regulated gene located on chromosome 21q22. 3 that is expressed in placental syncytiotrophoblast and choriocarcinoma cells
Kido, S.; Sakuragi, N.; Bronner, M.P.; Sayegh, R.; Strauss, J.F. III ); Berger, R.; Patterson, D. )
A partial cDNA (D21S418E) whose nucleotide sequence has no significant homologies with known mammalian DNA sequences was isolated from a human placental library. The cDNA hybridized with a 10-kb transcript present in term placenta. Messages of 10 and 7.5 kb were induced in BeWo and JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells by treatment with 8-Br-cAMP. The mRNA was not detected in human brain, liver, lung, kidney, pancreas, heart, skeletal muscle, or myometrium. The D21S418E locus was assigned to a 3.5-Mb region of chromosome 21q22.3. 15 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.
Localization of IL-4 and IL-4 receptors in the human term placenta, decidua and amniochorionic membranes.
de Moraes-Pinto, M I; Vince, G S; Flanagan, B F; Hart, C A; Johnson, P M
There has been much recent interest in cytokine expression at the materno-fetal interface. Although T-helper 2 (Th2)-type cytokines have been described in the murine feto-placental unit, few studies have as yet been performed in human pregnancy. We have examined the production of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and expression of IL-4 receptors in the human term placenta, decidua and amniochorionic membranes. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that cytotrophoblast, decidual macrophages and both maternal and fetal endothelial cells consistently expressed IL-4, whereas syncytiotrophoblast and placental macrophages showed an inconsistent pattern between specimens. High- and low-affinity IL-4 receptors were demonstrated by immunohistochemistry at the same cellular sites as stained for IL-4, and detection of IL-4 receptors was also variable in syncytiotrophoblast. Reverse-transcribed-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis showed that both IL-4 and its alternative splice variant, IL-482, are produced both in placental villi and in amniochorionic and decidual tissue. Ligand-binding assays identified the presence, on isolated term syncytiotrophoblast microvillous plasma membrane vesicle preparations, of functional high-affinity binding sites for IL-4 with a Kd in the range 102-112 pM and an apparent receptor density in the range 99-102 x 10(8) sites/mg protein. Three human choriocarcinoma (BeWo, JEG-3 and Jar) and one amnion-derived (AV3) cell lines expressed IL-4 and both high- and low-affinity IL-4 receptors. The constitutive expression of both IL-4 and IL-4 receptors, together with the novel finding of the alternative splice variant IL-482 in the immediate tissues at the materno fetal interface suggest an immunobiological role for IL-4 in human pregnancy. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 PMID:9038717
Early Regulation of Profibrotic Genes in Primary Human Cardiac Myocytes by Trypanosoma cruzi
Dykan, Andrey; Rachakonda, Girish; Villalta, Fernando; Mandape, Sammed N.; Lima, Maria F.; Pratap, Siddharth; Nde, Pius N.
The molecular mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi induced cardiac fibrosis remains to be elucidated. Primary human cardiomyoctes (PHCM) exposed to invasive T. cruzi trypomastigotes were used for transcriptome profiling and downstream bioinformatic analysis to determine fibrotic-associated genes regulated early during infection process (0 to 120 minutes). The identification of early molecular host responses to T. cruzi infection can be exploited to delineate important molecular signatures that can be used for the classification of Chagasic patients at risk of developing heart disease. Our results show distinct gene network architecture with multiple gene networks modulated by the parasite with an incline towards progression to a fibrogenic phenotype. Early during infection, T. cruzi significantly upregulated transcription factors including activator protein 1 (AP1) transcription factor network components (including FOSB, FOS and JUNB), early growth response proteins 1 and 3 (EGR1, EGR3), and cytokines/chemokines (IL5, IL6, IL13, CCL11), which have all been implicated in the onset of fibrosis. The changes in our selected genes of interest did not all start at the same time point. The transcriptome microarray data, validated by quantitative Real-Time PCR, was also confirmed by immunoblotting and customized Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) array showing significant increases in the protein expression levels of fibrogenic EGR1, SNAI1 and IL 6. Furthermore, phosphorylated SMAD2/3 which induces a fibrogenic phenotype is also upregulated accompanied by an increased nuclear translocation of JunB. Pathway analysis of the validated genes and phospho-proteins regulated by the parasite provides the very early fibrotic interactome operating when T. cruzi comes in contact with PHCM. The interactome architecture shows that the parasite induces both TGF-β dependent and independent fibrotic pathways, providing an early molecular foundation for Chagasic cardiomyopathy
Early Regulation of Profibrotic Genes in Primary Human Cardiac Myocytes by Trypanosoma cruzi.
Udoko, Aniekanabassi N; Johnson, Candice A; Dykan, Andrey; Rachakonda, Girish; Villalta, Fernando; Mandape, Sammed N; Lima, Maria F; Pratap, Siddharth; Nde, Pius N
The molecular mechanisms of Trypanosoma cruzi induced cardiac fibrosis remains to be elucidated. Primary human cardiomyoctes (PHCM) exposed to invasive T. cruzi trypomastigotes were used for transcriptome profiling and downstream bioinformatic analysis to determine fibrotic-associated genes regulated early during infection process (0 to 120 minutes). The identification of early molecular host responses to T. cruzi infection can be exploited to delineate important molecular signatures that can be used for the classification of Chagasic patients at risk of developing heart disease. Our results show distinct gene network architecture with multiple gene networks modulated by the parasite with an incline towards progression to a fibrogenic phenotype. Early during infection, T. cruzi significantly upregulated transcription factors including activator protein 1 (AP1) transcription factor network components (including FOSB, FOS and JUNB), early growth response proteins 1 and 3 (EGR1, EGR3), and cytokines/chemokines (IL5, IL6, IL13, CCL11), which have all been implicated in the onset of fibrosis. The changes in our selected genes of interest did not all start at the same time point. The transcriptome microarray data, validated by quantitative Real-Time PCR, was also confirmed by immunoblotting and customized Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) array showing significant increases in the protein expression levels of fibrogenic EGR1, SNAI1 and IL 6. Furthermore, phosphorylated SMAD2/3 which induces a fibrogenic phenotype is also upregulated accompanied by an increased nuclear translocation of JunB. Pathway analysis of the validated genes and phospho-proteins regulated by the parasite provides the very early fibrotic interactome operating when T. cruzi comes in contact with PHCM. The interactome architecture shows that the parasite induces both TGF-β dependent and independent fibrotic pathways, providing an early molecular foundation for Chagasic cardiomyopathy
Intracellular and extracellular pH dynamics in the human placenta from diabetes mellitus.
Araos, Joaquín; Silva, Luis; Salsoso, Rocío; Sáez, Tamara; Barros, Eric; Toledo, Fernando; Gutiérrez, Jaime; Pardo, Fabián; Leiva, Andrea; Sanhueza, Carlos; Sobrevia, Luis
The placenta is a vital organ whose function in diseases of pregnancy is altered, resulting in an abnormal supply of nutrients to the foetus. The lack of placental vasculature homeostasis regulation causes endothelial dysfunction and altered vascular reactivity. The proper distribution of acid- (protons (H(+))) and base-equivalents through the placenta is essential to achieve physiological homeostasis. Several membrane transport mechanisms that control H(+) distribution between the extracellular and intracellular spaces are expressed in the human placenta vascular endothelium and syncytiotrophoblast, including sodium (Na(+))/H(+) exchangers (NHEs). One member of the NHEs family is NHE isoform 1 (NHE1), whose activity results in an alkaline intracellular pH (high intracellular pH (pHi)) and an acidic extracellular pH (pHo). Increased NHE1 expression, maximal transport activity, and turnover are reported in human syncytiotrophoblasts and lymphocytes from patients with diabetes mellitus type I (DMT1), and a positive correlation between NHEs activity and plasma factors, such as that between thrombin and platelet factor 3, has been reported in diabetes mellitus type II (DMT2). However, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) could result in a higher sensitivity of the human placenta to acidic pHo. We summarized the findings on pHi and pHo modulation in the human placenta with an emphasis on pregnancies in which the mother diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. A potential role of NHEs, particularly NHE1, is proposed regarding placental dysfunction in DMT1, DMT2, and GDM. PMID:27324099
Direct Involvement of HERV-W Env Glycoprotein in Human Trophoblast Cell Fusion and Differentiation
Frendo, Jean-Louis; Olivier, Delphine; Cheynet, Valérie; Blond, Jean-Luc; Bouton, Olivier; Vidaud, Michel; Rabreau, Michèle; Evain-Brion, Danièle; Mallet, François
We recently demonstrated that the product of the HERV-W env gene, a retroviral envelope protein also dubbed syncytin, is a highly fusogenic membrane glycoprotein inducing the formation of syncytia on interaction with the type D mammalian retrovirus receptor. In addition, the detection of HERV-W Env protein (Env-W) expression in placental tissue sections led us to propose a role for this fusogenic glycoprotein in placenta formation. To evaluate this hypothesis, we analyzed the involvement of Env-W in the differentiation of primary cultures of human villous cytotrophoblasts that spontaneously differentiate by cell fusion into syncytiotrophoblasts in vitro. First, we observed that HERV-W env mRNA and glycoprotein expression are colinear with primary cytotrophoblast differentiation and with expression of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), a marker of syncytiotrophoblast formation. Second, we observed that in vitro stimulation of trophoblast cell fusion and differentiation by cyclic AMP is also associated with a concomitant increase in HERV-W env and hCG mRNA and protein expression. Finally, by using specific antisense oligonucleotides, we demonstrated that inhibition of Env-W protein expression leads to a decrease of trophoblast fusion and differentiation, with the secretion of hCG in culture medium of antisense oligonucleotide-treated cells being decreased by fivefold. Taken together, these results strongly support a direct role for Env-W in human trophoblast cell fusion and differentiation. PMID:12724415
Estrogen-related receptor gamma (ERRgamma) mediates oxygen-dependent induction of aromatase (CYP19) gene expression during human trophoblast differentiation.
Kumar, Premlata; Mendelson, Carole R
Differentiation of human cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblast and the associated induction of aromatase/hCYP19 gene expression are dependent upon a critical O(2) tension; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undefined. In this study, we provide compelling evidence that expression of the orphan nuclear receptor, estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ), is also O(2) dependent, induced during human syncytiotrophoblast differentiation, and plays an obligatory role in the induction of placenta-specific hCYP19I.1 gene expression. Treatment with the selective ERRγ agonist, DY131, or overexpression of ERRγ, stimulated hCYP19 expression in syncytiotrophoblast. Overexpression of ERRγ prevented effects of hypoxia to repress hCYP19 gene expression in cultured trophoblasts. Conversely, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous ERRγ in primary trophoblasts markedly inhibited hCYP19 expression. Promoter and site-directed mutagenesis studies in transfected placental cells identified a nuclear receptor element within placenta-specific hCYP19 promoter I.1 required for ERRγ-stimulated activity. Recruitment of endogenous ERRγ to the nuclear receptor element region in hCYP19 promoter during trophoblast differentiation, assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, was prevented by hypoxia. Deferoxamine-induced hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels decreased ERRγ expression, whereas knockdown of endogenous HIF-1α prevented ERRγ suppression by hypoxia. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of trophoblasts cultured in hypoxia revealed recruitment of HIF-1α to one of two putative hypoxia response elements in the ERRγ promoter, providing in vivo evidence of a direct HIF-1α involvement in ERRγ expression. Collectively, these novel findings identify ERRγ as an O(2)-dependent transcription factor and HIF-1α target gene that serves a critical role in the induction of hCYP19 expression during human trophoblast differentiation. PMID:21757507
Estrogen-Related Receptor γ (ERRγ) Mediates Oxygen-Dependent Induction of Aromatase (CYP19) Gene Expression during Human Trophoblast Differentiation
Kumar, Premlata
Differentiation of human cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblast and the associated induction of aromatase/hCYP19 gene expression are dependent upon a critical O2 tension; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain undefined. In this study, we provide compelling evidence that expression of the orphan nuclear receptor, estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ), is also O2 dependent, induced during human syncytiotrophoblast differentiation, and plays an obligatory role in the induction of placenta-specific hCYP19I.1 gene expression. Treatment with the selective ERRγ agonist, DY131, or overexpression of ERRγ, stimulated hCYP19 expression in syncytiotrophoblast. Overexpression of ERRγ prevented effects of hypoxia to repress hCYP19 gene expression in cultured trophoblasts. Conversely, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of endogenous ERRγ in primary trophoblasts markedly inhibited hCYP19 expression. Promoter and site-directed mutagenesis studies in transfected placental cells identified a nuclear receptor element within placenta-specific hCYP19 promoter I.1 required for ERRγ-stimulated activity. Recruitment of endogenous ERRγ to the nuclear receptor element region in hCYP19 promoter during trophoblast differentiation, assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, was prevented by hypoxia. Deferoxamine-induced hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels decreased ERRγ expression, whereas knockdown of endogenous HIF-1α prevented ERRγ suppression by hypoxia. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of trophoblasts cultured in hypoxia revealed recruitment of HIF-1α to one of two putative hypoxia response elements in the ERRγ promoter, providing in vivo evidence of a direct HIF-1α involvement in ERRγ expression. Collectively, these novel findings identify ERRγ as an O2-dependent transcription factor and HIF-1α target gene that serves a critical role in the induction of hCYP19 expression during human trophoblast differentiation. PMID:21757507
Corticotropin-releasing hormone stimulates expression of leptin, 11beta-HSD2 and syncytin-1 in primary human trophoblasts
Background The placental syncytiotrophoblast is the major source of maternal plasma corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) in the second half of pregnancy. Placental CRH exerts multiple functions in the maternal organism: It induces the adrenal secretion of cortisol via the stimulation of adrenocorticotropic hormone, regulates the timing of birth via its actions in the myometrium and inhibits the invasion of extravillous trophoblast cells in vitro. However, the auto- and paracrine actions of CRH on the syncytiotrophoblast itself are unknown. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is accompanied by an increase in placental CRH, which could be of pathophysiological relevance for the dysregulation in syncytialisation seen in IUGR placentas. Methods We aimed to determine the effect of CRH on isolated primary trophoblastic cells in vitro. After CRH stimulation the trophoblast syncytialisation rate was monitored via syncytin-1 gene expression and beta-hCG (beta-human chorionic gonadotropine) ELISA in culture supernatant. The expression of the IUGR marker genes leptin and 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 (11beta-HSD2) was measured continuously over a period of 72 h. We hypothesized that CRH might attenuate syncytialisation, induce leptin, and reduce 11beta-HSD2 expression in primary villous trophoblasts, which are known features of IUGR. Results CRH did not influence the differentiation of isolated trophoblasts into functional syncytium as determined by beta-hCG secretion, albeit inducing syncytin-1 expression. Following syncytialisation, CRH treatment significantly increased leptin and 11beta-HSD2 expression, as well as leptin secretion into culture supernatant after 48 h. Conclusion The relevance of CRH for placental physiology is underlined by the present in vitro study. The induction of leptin and 11beta-HSD2 in the syncytiotrophoblast by CRH might promote fetal nutrient supply and placental corticosteroid metabolism in the phase before labour induction. PMID
Killing of human tumor cells in culture with adriamycin conjugates of human transferrin
Yeh, C.J.; Faulk, W.P.
Receptors for human transferrin (Trf) in high density are found on reticulocytes and syncytiotrophoblast, but most unstimulated, normal adult cells do not bind Trf. In contrast, leukemia and breast adenocarcinoma cells have been shown to manifest Trf receptors, raising the possibility that these receptors might be employed to bind cytotoxic Trf conjugates. Trf was conjugated with adriamycin (Adr) and it was shown that the conjugates are bound by Trf receptors on plasma membranes of Daudi and HL-60 cells, following which Adr is identified in the nuclei of these cells. The biological effect of Adr is quantitated by the inhibition of tritiated thymidine uptake, and subsequent cell death is measured by trypan blue exclusion. The killing correlates directly with both the time of exposure and the amount of conjugate employed. These results suggest that such cytotoxic Trf conjugates hold promise for selective in vivo killing of some malignant cells.
Human Primary Trophoblast Cell Culture Model to Study the Protective Effects of Melatonin Against Hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced Disruption.
Sagrillo-Fagundes, Lucas; Clabault, Hélène; Laurent, Laetitia; Hudon-Thibeault, Andrée-Anne; Salustiano, Eugênia Maria Assunção; Fortier, Marlène; Bienvenue-Pariseault, Josianne; Wong Yen, Philippe; Sanderson, J Thomas; Vaillancourt, Cathy
This protocol describes how villous cytotrophoblast cells are isolated from placentas at term by successive enzymatic digestions, followed by density centrifugation, media gradient isolation and immunomagnetic purification. As observed in vivo, mononucleated villous cytotrophoblast cells in primary culture differentiate into multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast cells after 72 hr. Compared to normoxia (8% O2), villous cytotrophoblast cells that undergo hypoxia/reoxygenation (0.5% / 8% O2) undergo increased oxidative stress and intrinsic apoptosis, similar to that observed in vivo in pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. In this context, primary villous trophoblasts cultured under hypoxia/reoxygenation conditions represent a unique experimental system to better understand the mechanisms and signalling pathways that are altered in human placenta and facilitate the search for effective drugs that protect against certain pregnancy disorders. Human villous trophoblasts produce melatonin and express its synthesizing enzymes and receptors. Melatonin has been suggested as a treatment for preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction because of its protective antioxidant effects. In the primary villous cytotrophoblast cell model described in this paper, melatonin has no effect on trophoblast cells in normoxic state but restores the redox balance of syncytiotrophoblast cells disrupted by hypoxia/reoxygenation. Thus, human villous trophoblast cells in primary culture are an excellent approach to study the mechanisms behind the protective effects of melatonin on placental function during hypoxia/reoxygenation. PMID:27500522
Promiscuous Recognition of a Trypanosoma cruzi CD8+ T Cell Epitope among HLA-A2, HLA-A24 and HLA-A1 Supertypes in Chagasic Patients
Guzmán, Fanny; Rosas, Fernando; Thomas, M. Carmen; López, Manuel Carlos; González, John Mario; Cuéllar, Adriana; Puerta, Concepción J.
Background TcTLE is a nonamer peptide from Trypanosoma cruzi KMP-11 protein that is conserved among different parasite strains and that is presented by different HLA-A molecules from the A2 supertype. Because peptides presented by several major histocompatibility complex (MHC) supertypes are potential targets for immunotherapy, the aim of this study was to determine whether MHC molecules other than the A2 supertype present the TcTLE peptide. Methodology/Principal Findings From 36 HLA-A2-negative chagasic patients, the HLA-A genotypes of twenty-eight patients with CD8+ T cells that recognized the TcTLE peptide using tetramer (twenty) or functional (eight) assays, were determined. SSP-PCR was used to identify the A locus and the allelic variants. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the frequency of TcTLE-specific CD8+ T cells, and their functional activity (IFN-γ, TNFα, IL-2, perforin, granzyme and CD107a/b production) was induced by exposure to the TcTLE peptide. All patients tested had TcTLE-specific CD8+ T cells with frequencies ranging from 0.07–0.37%. Interestingly, seven of the twenty-eight patients had HLA-A homozygous alleles: A*24 (5 patients), A*23 (1 patient) and A*01 (1 patient), which belong to the A24 and A1 supertypes. In the remaining 21 patients with HLA-A heterozygous alleles, the most prominent alleles were A24 and A68. The most common allele sub-type was A*2402 (sixteen patients), which belongs to the A24 supertype, followed by A*6802 (six patients) from the A2 supertype. Additionally, the A*3002/A*3201 alleles from the A1 supertype were detected in one patient. All patients presented CD8+ T cells producing at least one cytokine after TcTLE peptide stimulation. Conclusion/Significance These results show that TcTLE is a promiscuous peptide that is presented by the A24 and A1 supertypes, in addition to the A2 supertype, suggesting its potential as a target for immunotherapy. PMID:26974162
Activin/Nodal Signaling Switches the Terminal Fate of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-derived Trophoblasts*
Sarkar, Prasenjit; Randall, Shan M.; Collier, Timothy S.; Nero, Anthony; Russell, Teal A.; Muddiman, David C.; Rao, Balaji M.
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have been routinely treated with bone morphogenetic protein and/or inhibitors of activin/nodal signaling to obtain cells that express trophoblast markers. Trophoblasts can terminally differentiate to either extravillous trophoblasts or syncytiotrophoblasts. The signaling pathways that govern the terminal fate of these trophoblasts are not understood. We show that activin/nodal signaling switches the terminal fate of these hESC-derived trophoblasts. Inhibition of activin/nodal signaling leads to formation of extravillous trophoblast, whereas loss of activin/nodal inhibition leads to the formation of syncytiotrophoblasts. Also, the ability of hESCs to form bona fide trophoblasts has been intensely debated. We have examined hESC-derived trophoblasts in the light of stringent criteria that were proposed recently, such as hypomethylation of the ELF5-2b promoter region and down-regulation of HLA class I antigens. We report that trophoblasts that possess these properties can indeed be obtained from hESCs. PMID:25670856
Activin/nodal signaling switches the terminal fate of human embryonic stem cell-derived trophoblasts.
Sarkar, Prasenjit; Randall, Shan M; Collier, Timothy S; Nero, Anthony; Russell, Teal A; Muddiman, David C; Rao, Balaji M
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have been routinely treated with bone morphogenetic protein and/or inhibitors of activin/nodal signaling to obtain cells that express trophoblast markers. Trophoblasts can terminally differentiate to either extravillous trophoblasts or syncytiotrophoblasts. The signaling pathways that govern the terminal fate of these trophoblasts are not understood. We show that activin/nodal signaling switches the terminal fate of these hESC-derived trophoblasts. Inhibition of activin/nodal signaling leads to formation of extravillous trophoblast, whereas loss of activin/nodal inhibition leads to the formation of syncytiotrophoblasts. Also, the ability of hESCs to form bona fide trophoblasts has been intensely debated. We have examined hESC-derived trophoblasts in the light of stringent criteria that were proposed recently, such as hypomethylation of the ELF5-2b promoter region and down-regulation of HLA class I antigens. We report that trophoblasts that possess these properties can indeed be obtained from hESCs. PMID:25670856
Calcium homeostasis in human placenta: role of calcium-handling proteins.
Lafond, Julie; Simoneau, Lucie
The human placenta is a transitory organ, representing during pregnancy the unique connection between the mother and her fetus. The syncytiotrophoblast represents the specialized unit in the placenta that is directly involved in fetal nutrition, mainly involving essential nutrients, such as lipids, amino acids, and calcium. This ion is of particular interest since it is actively transported by the placenta throughout pregnancy and is associated with many roles during intrauterine life. At term, the human fetus has accumulated about 25-30 g of calcium. This transfer allows adequate fetal growth and development, since calcium is vital for fetal skeleton mineralization and many cellular functions, such as signal transduction, neurotransmitter release, and cellular growth. Thus, there are many proteins involved in calcium homeostasis in the human placenta. PMID:16861065
Estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) regulates oxygen-dependent expression of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels and tissue kallikrein during human trophoblast differentiation.
Luo, Yanmin; Kumar, Premlata; Mendelson, Carole R
Estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) serves a critical O2-dependent regulatory role in the differentiation of human cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblast. In this study, we investigated expression of genes encoding tissue kallikrein (KLK1) and voltage-gated K(+) channels (KV7) during differentiation of human trophoblasts in culture and the roles of ERRγ and O2 tension in their regulation. Expression of KLK1 and the KV7 channel subunits, KCNQ1, KCNE1, KCNE3, and KCNE5, increased during differentiation of cultured human trophoblast cells in a 20% O2 environment. Notably, together with ERRγ, expression of KLK1, KCNQ1, KCNE1, KCNE3, and KCNE5 was markedly reduced when cells were cultured in a hypoxic environment (2% O2). Moreover, upon transduction of trophoblast cells with short hairpin RNAs for endogenous ERRγ, KLK1, KCNQ1, KCNE1, and KCNE3 expression was significantly decreased. Promoter and site-directed mutagenesis studies in transfected cells identified putative ERRγ response elements within the KLK1 and KCNE1 5'-flanking regions required for ERRγ-stimulated transcriptional activity. Binding of endogenous ERRγ to these ERRγ response elements increased during trophoblast differentiation in culture and was inhibited by hypoxia. The KV7 blocker linopirdine reduced human chorionic gonadotropin secretion and aggregation of cultured human trophoblasts, suggesting a possible role of KV7 channels in cell fusion and differentiation. Illumina gene expression arrays of cultured human trophoblast cells revealed several genes upregulated during syncytiotrophoblast differentiation and downregulated upon ERRγ knockdown involved in cell differentiation, adhesion, and synthesis of steroid and peptide hormones required for placental development and function. Collectively, these findings suggest that ERRγ mediates O2-dependent expression of genes involved in human trophoblast differentiation, function, and vascular homeostasis. PMID:23584901
Estrogen-Related Receptor γ (ERRγ) Regulates Oxygen-Dependent Expression of Voltage-gated Potassium (K+) Channels and Tissue Kallikrein during Human Trophoblast Differentiation
Luo, Yanmin; Kumar, Premlata
Estrogen-related receptor γ (ERRγ) serves a critical O2-dependent regulatory role in the differentiation of human cytotrophoblasts to syncytiotrophoblast. In this study, we investigated expression of genes encoding tissue kallikrein (KLK1) and voltage-gated K+ channels (KV7) during differentiation of human trophoblasts in culture and the roles of ERRγ and O2 tension in their regulation. Expression of KLK1 and the KV7 channel subunits, KCNQ1, KCNE1, KCNE3, and KCNE5, increased during differentiation of cultured human trophoblast cells in a 20% O2 environment. Notably, together with ERRγ, expression of KLK1, KCNQ1, KCNE1, KCNE3, and KCNE5 was markedly reduced when cells were cultured in a hypoxic environment (2% O2). Moreover, upon transduction of trophoblast cells with short hairpin RNAs for endogenous ERRγ, KLK1, KCNQ1, KCNE1, and KCNE3 expression was significantly decreased. Promoter and site-directed mutagenesis studies in transfected cells identified putative ERRγ response elements within the KLK1 and KCNE1 5′-flanking regions required for ERRγ-stimulated transcriptional activity. Binding of endogenous ERRγ to these ERRγ response elements increased during trophoblast differentiation in culture and was inhibited by hypoxia. The KV7 blocker linopirdine reduced human chorionic gonadotropin secretion and aggregation of cultured human trophoblasts, suggesting a possible role of KV7 channels in cell fusion and differentiation. Illumina gene expression arrays of cultured human trophoblast cells revealed several genes upregulated during syncytiotrophoblast differentiation and downregulated upon ERRγ knockdown involved in cell differentiation, adhesion, and synthesis of steroid and peptide hormones required for placental development and function. Collectively, these findings suggest that ERRγ mediates O2-dependent expression of genes involved in human trophoblast differentiation, function, and vascular homeostasis. PMID:23584901
Syncytial knots and intervillous bridges in the human placenta: an ultrastructural study.
Jones, C J; Fox, H
An electron microscopic study has shown that the syncytial knots of the villi of the human placenta contain aggregated nuclei which exhibit marked degenerative changes; within the cytoplasm there is an abundance of cytoplasmic filaments and many stacks of annulate lamellae. It is suggested that syncytial knots are a sequestration phenomenon in which senescent nuclear material is aggregated and removed from metabolically active areas of the syncytiotrophoblast. Intervillous bridges appear to be formed chiefly by fusion of syncytial knots from adjacent villi, and it seems reasonable that the effete material in a syncytial knot should be used for this purpose. The intervillous bridges hava a fine structure which suggests that they have a mechanical function, and this lends support to the theory that they form an internal strut system within the placenta. PMID:591426
Activation of Protein C in Human Trophoblasts in Culture and Downregulation of Trophoblast Endothelial Protein C Receptor by TNF-α.
Faioni, E M; Fontana, G; Razzari, C; Avagliano, L; Bulfamante, G; Calvi, E; Doi, P; Marconi, A M
In mice, trophoblasts are equipped with a potent anticoagulant mechanism, the protein C pathway. In human placenta, no functional studies of the protein C pathway are available. Human first-trimester trophoblasts (CK(++) HLA-G(+/-) Vim(-)) were isolated and kept in culture for a maximum of 48 hours. Activation of protein C on trophoblasts was at least as efficient as in endothelial cells (4.43 × 10 (-) (7) nmol/L/min/cell). Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) was expressed in syncytiotrophoblasts and extravillous trophoblasts. Downregulation of the messenger RNA of trophoblast EPCR occurred when trophoblasts were challenged with tumor necrosis factor α, and it could be prevented by unfractionated heparin but not by low-molecular-weight heparin at therapeutic doses. In conclusion, there is a functional protein C pathway on human first-trimester trophoblasts which can be modulated by inflammation. This finding has implications for the pathogenesis and prevention of placenta-mediated obstetric complications. PMID:25667200
The presence of kinesin superfamily motor proteins KIFC1 and KIF17 in normal and pathological human placenta.
Sati, L; Seval-Celik, Y; Unek, G; Korgun, E T; Demir, R
Kinesin superfamily proteins (KIFs) are motor proteins that participate in chromosomal and spindle movements during mitosis and meiosis, and transport membranous organelles and macromolecules fundamental for cellular functions. Although the roles of KIFs in axonal and dendritic transports have been studied extensively, their role in intracellular transport in general is less well known. The diversity of kinesins suggests that each kinesin may have a specific function. Therefore, in this study we aimed to investigate the presence and cellular localization of KIFC1 and KIF17 in normal and pathological human placentas. First-trimester (22-56 days) and normal, preeclamptic (PE), and diabetic-term placental tissues were obtained and further studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot methods. KIFC1 was mainly localized to the syncytiotrophoblast both in early and term placental samples. However, a stronger immunoreactivity was observed both in PE and diabetic placentas compared to normal-term placentas. KIF17 was most intensively localized in developing vascular endothelium in early pregnancy. Even though KIF17 was moderately stained in the endothelium of villi from normal human-term placentas, stronger immunoreactivity was observed in all types of villi of both PE and diabetic placentas. Western blotting of tissue extracts confirmed the IHC results. Here, we demonstrate the presence of KIFC1 and KIF17 in human placenta for the first time. The intense expression of KIFC1 in syncytiotrophoblast and KIF17 in vascular endothelium suggests that both the proteins might be important in a cargo-transport system. An increased expression pattern of both KIFC1 and KIF17 in PE and diabetes might suggest that these proteins may be involved in complex trophoblast functions and placental pathologies. Further studies will clarify the physiological role of KIFs in human placental transport and development. PMID:19679349
Effect of microcystin-LR on human placental villous trophoblast differentiation in vitro.
Douglas, Gordon C; Thirkill, Twanda L; Kumar, Priyadarsini; Loi, Minerva; Hilborn, Elizabeth D
Microcystin-LR is a cyanobacterial toxin found in surface and recreational waters that inhibits protein phosphatases and may disrupt the cytoskeleton. Microcystins induce apoptosis in hepatocytes at ≤2.0 µM. Nothing is known about the effects of microcystins on human placental trophoblast differentiation and function. The differentiation of villous trophoblasts to form syncytiotrophoblast occurs throughout pregnancy and is essential for normal placental and fetal development. To investigate the effects of microcystin, villous cytotrophoblasts were isolated from term placentas using an established method and exposed to microcystin-LR. Microcystin-LR below the cytotoxic dose of 25 µM did not cause cell rounding or detachment, had no effect on apoptosis, and no effect on the morphological differentiation of mononucleated cytotrophoblasts to multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast. However, secretion of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) increased in a microcystin-LR dose-dependent manner. When incubated with l-buthionine sulphoximine (BSO) to deplete glutathione levels, trophoblast morphological differentiation proceeded normally in the presence of microcystin-LR. Microcystin-LR did not disrupt the trophoblast microtubule cytoskeleton, which is known to play a role in trophoblast differentiation. Immunofluorescence studies showed that trophoblasts express organic anion transport protein 1B3 (OATP1B3), a known microcystin transport protein. In comparison to hepatocytes, trophoblasts appear to be more resistant to the toxic effects of microcystin-LR. The physiological implications of increased hCG secretion in response to microcystin-LR exposure remain to be determined. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 427-439, 2016. PMID:25346179
Methylation status and transcriptional expression of the MHC class I loci in human trophoblast cells from term placenta
Guillaudeux, T.; Rodriguez, A.M.; Girr, M.
Of the various molecular regulatory mechanisms that may be used by human trophoblast cells to down-regulate expression of HLA class I genes, we chose to investigate the methylation of DNA, generally associated with inhibition of transcription. We analyzed the methylation status of different HLA class I loci in villous and extravillous cytotrophoblast cells and in vitro-differentiated syncytiotrophoblast, purified from human term placenta, as well as in the human trophoblast-derived JAR and JEG-3 cell lines. We then compared methylation status and transcriptional activity. An inverse relationship was established between JAR and JEG-3: HLA-A, -B, and -G are methylated and repressed in JAR, whereas in JEG-3, HLA-A is methylated and repressed but HLA-B and -G are partially methylated and transcribed. HLA-E is unmethylated and transcribed in both cell lines. Apart from HLA-E, which is always unmethylated and transcribed, no such relationship exists for the other class I loci in trophoblast cells. Whereas nonclassical HLA-G and classical HLA-A and -B class I genes are undermethylated in both cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast, they are clearly transcribed in the former but minimally transcribed in the latter subpopulation. Thus, the down-regulation of class I gene expression in the in vitro-differentiated synctiotrophoblast is unlikely to be caused by DNA methylation. Furthermore, there is no detectable expression of any class I molecule at the cell surface of either trophoblast cell subpopulation, suggesting a negative control on translation and/or on the secretory pathway to the plasma membrane. 50 refs., 11 figs., 1 tab.
[Association of encephalic vascular accidents and Chagas disease].
Lopes, E R; Marquez, J O; da Costa Neto, B; Menezes, A A; Chapadeiro, M E
The frequency of strokes was studied in chronic chagasic and years of age, non-chagasic patients, older than 15 coming to necropsy in Uberaba, from 1979 than 1988. The study consisted of paired sex and age matched controls. Two hundred and eight pairs were analysed. Either ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes were found in 41 (19.7%) of the chagasics and in 55 (26.4%) of the non-chagasic, a difference not significant at the level of 5%. Twelve (75%) of the former had infarcts and 4 (25%) had brain hemorrhage; five (31.3%) of the non-chagasics had ischemic strokes and 11 (68.7%) had hemorrhagic strokes. The differences were significant to the level of 5%. The results indicate a high frequency of ischemic strokes in human Chagas' disease and demonstrate a lesser frequency of hemorrhagic stroke in chagasics when compared with non-chagasics. PMID:1841424
Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Interferes with the Maintenance and Differentiation of Trophoblast Progenitor Cells of the Human Placenta
Tabata, Takako; Petitt, Matthew; Zydek, Martin; Fang-Hoover, June; Larocque, Nicholas; Tsuge, Mitsuru; Gormley, Matthew; Kauvar, Lawrence M.
ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a major cause of birth defects that include severe neurological deficits, hearing and vision loss, and intrauterine growth restriction. Viral infection of the placenta leads to development of avascular villi, edema, and hypoxia associated with symptomatic congenital infection. Studies of primary cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) revealed that HCMV infection impedes terminal stages of differentiation and invasion by various molecular mechanisms. We recently discovered that HCMV arrests earlier stages involving development of human trophoblast progenitor cells (TBPCs), which give rise to the mature cell types of chorionic villi—syncytiotrophoblasts on the surfaces of floating villi and invasive CTBs that remodel the uterine vasculature. Here, we show that viral proteins are present in TBPCs of the chorion in cases of symptomatic congenital infection. In vitro studies revealed that HCMV replicates in continuously self-renewing TBPC lines derived from the chorion and alters expression and subcellular localization of proteins required for cell cycle progression, pluripotency, and early differentiation. In addition, treatment with a human monoclonal antibody to HCMV glycoprotein B rescues differentiation capacity, and thus, TBPCs have potential utility for evaluation of the efficacies of novel antiviral antibodies in protecting and restoring placental development. Our results suggest that HCMV replicates in TBPCs in the chorion in vivo, interfering with the earliest steps in the growth of new villi, contributing to virus transmission and impairing compensatory development. In cases of congenital infection, reduced responsiveness of the placenta to hypoxia limits the transport of substances from maternal blood and contributes to fetal growth restriction. IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a leading cause of birth defects in the United States. Congenital infection can result in permanent neurological defects, mental retardation
Progesterone and human placental lactogen inhibit leptin secretion on cultured trophoblast cells from human placentas at term.
Coya, Raquel; Martul, Pedro; Algorta, Jaime; Aniel-Quiroga, Ma Angeles; Busturia, Ma Angeles; Señarís, Rosa
The placenta is an important source of leptin production that contributes to the state of hyperleptinemia observed in pregnant women. Moreover, the synthesis of leptin and its receptors by syncytiotrophoblast cells suggests a potential paracrine or autocrine action of leptin in the placenta. In the present study we examined the effect of gestational hormones, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), human placental lactogen (hPL), progesterone and estradiol, on in vitro leptin release by human term trophoblast cells in culture. Placentas at term were obtained immediately after delivery from mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies. Leptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in culture media of trophoblasts maintained in monolayer culture for 24, 48 and 72 h with different hormonal treatments or placebo. Treatment with hPL and progesterone led to a time- and dose-dependent decrease in leptin release that was statistically significant after 24 h, with a maximal effect after 72 h of incubation. In contrast, incubation with estradiol and hCG did not have exhibit any effect on leptin secretion at any of the doses and times assayed in this work. The results obtained in this study support that leptin can be considered a gestational hormone implied in the endocrine function of the placenta and that its secretion is at least partially regulated by steroid and peptidic reproductive hormones in trophoblast cells in vitro. PMID:16048798
The CD200 tolerance-signaling molecule and its receptor, CD200R1, are expressed in human placental villus trophoblast and in peri-implant decidua by 5 weeks' gestation.
Clark, David A; Arredondo, Jorge L; Dhesy-Thind, Sukhbinder
CD200 expression in murine trophoblast and decidua prevents semi-allogeneic and LPS-induced abortions by binding to CD200 receptor-bearing cells to suppress NK activity, induces IDO in macrophages, and promotes the generation of regulatory T cell subsets. CD200 and its receptor CD200R1 reported in 7-9 weeks' gestation human villus trophoblasts are reduced in spontaneous abortion syncytiotrophoblasts. By specific antibody staining, we find that both CD200 and CD200R1 are expressed even earlier, by 5 weeks' gestation, by villus trophoblasts and by decidual cells. Expression of CD200 was validated using two independent antibodies. CD200-CD200R1 signaling may be required for human pregnancy success. PMID:26123445
Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells
Chen, Ying; Wang, Kai; Chandramouli, Gadisetti V.R.; Knott, Jason G.; Leach, Richard
Highlights: •Epithelial-like phenotype of trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells. •Trophoblast lineage cells derived from human iPS cells exhibit trophoblast function. •Trophoblasts from iPS cells provides a proof-of-concept in regenerative medicine. -- Abstract: Background: During implantation, the blastocyst trophectoderm attaches to the endometrial epithelium and continues to differentiate into all trophoblast subtypes, which are the major components of a placenta. Aberrant trophoblast proliferation and differentiation are associated with placental diseases. However, due to ethical and practical issues, there is almost no available cell or tissue source to study the molecular mechanism of human trophoblast differentiation, which further becomes a barrier to the study of the pathogenesis of trophoblast-associated diseases of pregnancy. In this study, our goal was to generate a proof-of-concept model for deriving trophoblast lineage cells from induced pluripotency stem (iPS) cells from human fibroblasts. In future studies the generation of trophoblast lineage cells from iPS cells established from patient's placenta will be extremely useful for studying the pathogenesis of individual trophoblast-associated diseases and for drug testing. Methods and results: Combining iPS cell technology with BMP4 induction, we derived trophoblast lineage cells from human iPS cells. The gene expression profile of these trophoblast lineage cells was distinct from fibroblasts and iPS cells. These cells expressed markers of human trophoblasts. Furthermore, when these cells were differentiated they exhibited invasive capacity and placental hormone secretive capacity, suggesting extravillous trophoblasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. Conclusion: Trophoblast lineage cells can be successfully derived from human iPS cells, which provide a proof-of-concept tool to recapitulate pathogenesis of patient placental trophoblasts in vitro.
HCMV Infection of Human Trophoblast Progenitor Cells of the Placenta Is Neutralized by a Human Monoclonal Antibody to Glycoprotein B and Not by Antibodies to the Pentamer Complex
Zydek, Martin; Petitt, Matthew; Fang-Hoover, June; Adler, Barbara; Kauvar, Lawrence M.; Pereira, Lenore; Tabata, Takako
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the major viral cause of congenital infection and birth defects. Primary maternal infection often results in virus transmission, and symptomatic babies can have permanent neurological deficiencies and deafness. Congenital infection can also lead to intrauterine growth restriction, a defect in placental transport. HCMV replicates in primary cytotrophoblasts (CTBs), the specialized cells of the placenta, and inhibits differentiation/invasion. Human trophoblast progenitor cells (TBPCs) give rise to the mature cell types of the chorionic villi, CTBs and multi-nucleated syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs). Here we report that TBPCs are fully permissive for pathogenic and attenuated HCMV strains. Studies with a mutant virus lacking a functional pentamer complex (gH/gL/pUL128-131A) showed that virion entry into TBPCs is independent of the pentamer. In addition, infection is blocked by a potent human neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb), TRL345, reactive with glycoprotein B (gB), but not mAbs to the pentamer proteins pUL130/pUL131A. Functional studies revealed that neutralization of infection preserved the capacity of TBPCs to differentiate and assemble into trophospheres composed of CTBs and STBs in vitro. Our results indicate that mAbs to gB protect trophoblast progenitors of the placenta and could be included in antibody treatments developed to suppress congenital infection and prevent disease. PMID:24651029
A microphysiological model of the human placental barrier.
Blundell, Cassidy; Tess, Emily R; Schanzer, Ariana S R; Coutifaris, Christos; Su, Emily J; Parry, Samuel; Huh, Dongeun
During human pregnancy, the fetal circulation is separated from maternal blood in the placenta by two cell layers - the fetal capillary endothelium and placental trophoblast. This placental barrier plays an essential role in fetal development and health by tightly regulating the exchange of endogenous and exogenous materials between the mother and the fetus. Here we present a microengineered device that provides a novel platform to mimic the structural and functional complexity of this specialized tissue in vitro. Our model is created in a multilayered microfluidic system that enables co-culture of human trophoblast cells and human fetal endothelial cells in a physiologically relevant spatial arrangement to replicate the characteristic architecture of the human placental barrier. We have engineered this co-culture model to induce progressive fusion of trophoblast cells and to form a syncytialized epithelium that resembles the syncytiotrophoblast in vivo. Our system also allows the cultured trophoblasts to form dense microvilli under dynamic flow conditions and to reconstitute expression and physiological localization of membrane transport proteins, such as glucose transporters (GLUTs), critical to the barrier function of the placenta. To provide a proof-of-principle for using this microdevice to recapitulate native function of the placental barrier, we demonstrated physiological transport of glucose across the microengineered maternal-fetal interface. Importantly, the rate of maternal-to-fetal glucose transfer in this system closely approximated that measured in ex vivo perfused human placentas. Our "placenta-on-a-chip" platform represents an important advance in the development of new technologies to model and study the physiological complexity of the human placenta for a wide variety of applications. PMID:27229450
Human extravillous trophoblast invasion: intrinsic and extrinsic regulation.
Menkhorst, E; Winship, A; Van Sinderen, M; Dimitriadis, E
During the establishment of pregnancy, a human blastocyst implants into the uterine endometrium to facilitate the formation of a functional placenta. Implantation involves the blastocyst adhering to the uterine luminal epithelium before the primitive syncytiotrophoblast and subsequently specialised cells, the extravillous trophoblast (EVT), invade into the decidua in order to engraft and remodel uterine spiral arteries, creating the placental blood supply at the end of the first trimester. Defects in EVT invasion lead to abnormal placentation and thus adverse pregnancy outcomes. The local decidual environment is thought to play a key role in regulating trophoblast invasion. Here we describe the major cell types present in the decidua during the first trimester of pregnancy and review what is known about their regulation of EVT invasion. Overall, the evidence suggests that in a healthy pregnancy almost all cell types in the decidua actively promote EVT invasion and, further, that reduced EVT invasion towards the end of the first trimester is regulated, in part, by the reduced invasive capacity of EVTs shown at this time. PMID:25163485
Ultrastructural study on human placenta from intrauterine growth retardation cases.
Battistelli, Michela; Burattini, Sabrina; Pomini, Francesco; Scavo, Maria; Caruso, Alessandro; Falcieri, Elisabetta
A morphological study was performed on 27 human placentas from normal gestations (Group 1) and compared with those from eight cases of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (Group 2). Semithin section light microscopy, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy were carried out on trophoblastic terminal villi, carefully identified under the stereomicroscope. In growth retardation cases, villi appear longer, thinner, and less vascularized, compared to the normal condition. Fibrinoid, an extracellular material of hematic origin, frequently fills villar stroma. The density of apical microvilli appears considerably reduced and occasional microvilli-free areas are observed in growth retardation cases. Moreover, the underlying basal membrane appears significantly thicker than that of normal syncytiotrophoblast. Recently, particular attention has been paid to apoptosis as a possible cell deletion mechanism in growth restriction. In our study, a majority of typical apoptotic features appear indifferently in both IUGR and normal pregnancy. Our data hints that growth retardation might be correlated with a complex of structural changes, suggestive of maternofetal traffic downregulation, but further studies are required to understand the underlying functional mechanisms. PMID:15605416
Angiogenin distribution in human term placenta, and expression by cultured trophoblastic cells
Pavlov, Nadine; Hatzi, Elissavet; Bassaglia, Yann; Frendo, Jean-Louis; Evain-Brion, Danièle; Badet, Josette
Human angiogenin is a 14-kDa secreted protein with angiogenic and ribonucleolytic activities. Angiogenin is associated with tumour development but is also present in normal biological fluids and tissues. To further address the physiological role of angiogenin, we studied its expression in situ and in vitro, using the human term placenta as a model of physiological angiogenesis. Angiogenin was immunodetected by light and transmission electron microscopy, and its cellular distribution was established by double immunolabelling with cell markers including von Willebrand factor, platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), CD34, Tie-2, vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGF-R2), erythropoeitin receptor (Epo-R), alpha-smooth muscle actin, CD45, cytokeratin 7, and Ki-67. Angiogenin immunoreactivity was detected in villous and extravillous trophoblasts, the trophoblast basement membrane, the endothelial basal lamina, foetal blood vessels, foetal and maternal red blood cells, and amnionic cells. Its expression was confirmed by in situ hybridisation with a digoxygenin-labelled cDNA probe and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction amplification. Villous cytotrophoblasts, isolated and differentiated in vitro into a functional syncytiotrophoblast, expressed and secreted angiogenin. Given its known biological activities in vitro and its observed pattern of expression, these data suggest that, in human placenta, angiogenin has a role not only in angiogenesis but also in vascular and tissue homeostasis, maternal immune tolerance of the foetus, and host defences. PMID:15166501
Human Hemochromatosis Protein (HFE) Immunoperoxidase Stain Highlights Choriocarcinoma within Mixed Germ Cell Tumors.
Cox, Jesse L; Talmon, Geoffrey A; Koepsell, Scott A
Identification of choriocarcinoma within a germ cell tumor can have major implications for the subsequent staging and treatment of testicular neoplasms. Immunoperoxidase staining greatly enhances the speed and sensitivity of identifying occult, though clinically significant, tumor components. In mixed germ cell tumors, staining for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) has been historically used to assess for the presence and burden of choriocarcinoma. However, current β-hCG stains produce variable, intense staining of trophoblastic elements and surrounding tissues, clouding the assessment of true-positive staining. Human hemochromatosis protein (HFE) is a membrane bound mediator of iron transport expressed at high levels within placenta. Additionally, previous reports have demonstrated that choriocarcinoma cell lines express HFE, although in vivo expression had not been examined. To address whether HFE can stain trophoblastic elements, HFE immunohistochemistry was conducted in choriocarcinoma (n = 4), mixed germ cell tumors (n = 11), seminoma (n = 4), and placenta (n = 11). HFE consistently demonstrated cytoplasmic and membranous staining, highlighting both syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts within choriocarcinoma and placenta. Staining of intratumoral white blood cells was observed within seminomas and mixed germ cell tumors, corroborating prior reports stating that HFE highlights monocytes and macrophages. Taken together, HFE may serve as an alternative target from β-hCG for immunoperoxidase studies when highlighting choriocarcinoma. PMID:27034532
Human Hemochromatosis Protein (HFE) Immunoperoxidase Stain Highlights Choriocarcinoma within Mixed Germ Cell Tumors
Talmon, Geoffrey A.; Koepsell, Scott A.
Identification of choriocarcinoma within a germ cell tumor can have major implications for the subsequent staging and treatment of testicular neoplasms. Immunoperoxidase staining greatly enhances the speed and sensitivity of identifying occult, though clinically significant, tumor components. In mixed germ cell tumors, staining for beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) has been historically used to assess for the presence and burden of choriocarcinoma. However, current β-hCG stains produce variable, intense staining of trophoblastic elements and surrounding tissues, clouding the assessment of true-positive staining. Human hemochromatosis protein (HFE) is a membrane bound mediator of iron transport expressed at high levels within placenta. Additionally, previous reports have demonstrated that choriocarcinoma cell lines express HFE, although in vivo expression had not been examined. To address whether HFE can stain trophoblastic elements, HFE immunohistochemistry was conducted in choriocarcinoma (n = 4), mixed germ cell tumors (n = 11), seminoma (n = 4), and placenta (n = 11). HFE consistently demonstrated cytoplasmic and membranous staining, highlighting both syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts within choriocarcinoma and placenta. Staining of intratumoral white blood cells was observed within seminomas and mixed germ cell tumors, corroborating prior reports stating that HFE highlights monocytes and macrophages. Taken together, HFE may serve as an alternative target from β-hCG for immunoperoxidase studies when highlighting choriocarcinoma. PMID:27034532
Long-Term Endurance Exercise in Humans Stimulates Cell Fusion of Myoblasts along with Fusogenic Endogenous Retroviral Genes In Vivo
Suhr, Frank; Konou, Thierry M.; Tappe, Kim A.; Toigo, Marco; Jung, Hans H.; Henke, Christine; Steigleder, Ruth; Strissel, Pamela L.; Huebner, Hanna; Beckmann, Matthias W.; van der Keylen, Piet; Schoser, Benedikt; Schiffer, Thorsten; Frese, Laura; Bloch, Wilhelm; Strick, Reiner
Myogenesis is defined as growth, differentiation and repair of muscles where cell fusion of myoblasts to multinucleated myofibers is one major characteristic. Other cell fusion events in humans are found with bone resorbing osteoclasts and placental syncytiotrophoblasts. No unifying gene regulation for natural cell fusions has been found. We analyzed skeletal muscle biopsies of competitive cyclists for muscle-specific attributes and expression of human endogenous retrovirus (ERV) envelope genes due to their involvement in cell fusion of osteoclasts and syncytiotrophoblasts. Comparing muscle biopsies from post- with the pre-competitive seasons a significant 2.25-fold increase of myonuclei/mm fiber, a 2.38-fold decrease of fiber area/nucleus and a 3.1-fold decrease of satellite cells (SCs) occurred. We propose that during the pre-competitive season SC proliferation occurred following with increased cell fusion during the competitive season. Expression of twenty-two envelope genes of muscle biopsies demonstrated a significant increase of putative muscle-cell fusogenic genes Syncytin-1 and Syncytin-3, but also for the non-fusogenic erv3. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed that Syncytin-1 mainly localized to the sarcolemma of myofibers positive for myosin heavy-chain isotypes. Cellular receptors SLC1A4 and SLC1A5 of Syncytin-1 showed significant decrease of expression in post-competitive muscles compared with the pre-competitive season, but only SLC1A4 protein expression localized throughout the myofiber. Erv3 protein was strongly expressed throughout the myofiber, whereas envK1-7 localized to SC nuclei and myonuclei. Syncytin-1 transcription factors, PPARγ and RXRα, showed no protein expression in the myofiber, whereas the pCREB-Ser133 activator of Syncytin-1 was enriched to SC nuclei and myonuclei. Syncytin-1, Syncytin-3, SLC1A4 and PAX7 gene regulations along with MyoD1 and myogenin were verified during proliferating or actively-fusing human primary myoblast cell
MSX2 Induces Trophoblast Invasion in Human Placenta.
Liang, Hao; Zhang, Qian; Lu, Junjie; Yang, Genling; Tian, Na; Wang, Xiaojie; Tan, Yi; Tan, Dongmei
Normal implantation depends on appropriate trophoblast growth and invasion. Inadequate trophoblast invasion results in pregnancy-related disorders, such as early miscarriage and pre-eclampsia, which are dangerous to both the mother and fetus. Msh Homeobox 2 (MSX2), a member of the MSX family of homeobox proteins, plays a significant role in the proliferation and differentiation of various cells and tissues, including ectodermal organs, teeth, and chondrocytes. Recently, MSX2 was found to play important roles in the invasion of cancer cells into adjacent tissues via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of MSX2 in trophoblastic invasion during placental development has yet to be explored. In the present study, we detected MSX2 expression in cytotrophoblast, syncytiotrophoblast, and extravillous cytotrophoblast cells of first or third trimester human placentas via immunohistochemistry analysis. Furthermore, we found that the in vitro invasive ability of HTR8/SVneo cells was enhanced by exogenous overexpression of MSX2, and that this effect was accompanied by increased protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), vimentin, and β-catenin. Conversely, treatment of HTR8/SVneo cells with MSX2-specific siRNAs resulted in decreased protein expression of MMP-2, vimentin, and β-catenin, and reduced invasion levels in a Matrigel invasion test. Notably, however, treatment with the MSX2 overexpression plasmid and the MSX2 siRNAs had no effect on the mRNA expression levels of β-catenin. Meanwhile, overexpression of MSX2 and treatment with the MSX2-specific siRNA resulted in decreased and increased E-cadherin expression, respectively, in JEG-3 cells. Lastly, the protein expression levels of MSX2 were significantly lower in human pre-eclamptic placental villi than in the matched control placentas. Collectively, our results suggest that MSX2 may induce human trophoblast cell invasion, and dysregulation of MSX2 expression may be associated
MSX2 Induces Trophoblast Invasion in Human Placenta
Lu, Junjie; Yang, Genling; Tian, Na; Wang, Xiaojie; Tan, Yi; Tan, Dongmei
Normal implantation depends on appropriate trophoblast growth and invasion. Inadequate trophoblast invasion results in pregnancy-related disorders, such as early miscarriage and pre-eclampsia, which are dangerous to both the mother and fetus. Msh Homeobox 2 (MSX2), a member of the MSX family of homeobox proteins, plays a significant role in the proliferation and differentiation of various cells and tissues, including ectodermal organs, teeth, and chondrocytes. Recently, MSX2 was found to play important roles in the invasion of cancer cells into adjacent tissues via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the role of MSX2 in trophoblastic invasion during placental development has yet to be explored. In the present study, we detected MSX2 expression in cytotrophoblast, syncytiotrophoblast, and extravillous cytotrophoblast cells of first or third trimester human placentas via immunohistochemistry analysis. Furthermore, we found that the in vitro invasive ability of HTR8/SVneo cells was enhanced by exogenous overexpression of MSX2, and that this effect was accompanied by increased protein expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), vimentin, and β-catenin. Conversely, treatment of HTR8/SVneo cells with MSX2-specific siRNAs resulted in decreased protein expression of MMP-2, vimentin, and β-catenin, and reduced invasion levels in a Matrigel invasion test. Notably, however, treatment with the MSX2 overexpression plasmid and the MSX2 siRNAs had no effect on the mRNA expression levels of β-catenin. Meanwhile, overexpression of MSX2 and treatment with the MSX2-specific siRNA resulted in decreased and increased E-cadherin expression, respectively, in JEG-3 cells. Lastly, the protein expression levels of MSX2 were significantly lower in human pre-eclamptic placental villi than in the matched control placentas. Collectively, our results suggest that MSX2 may induce human trophoblast cell invasion, and dysregulation of MSX2 expression may be associated
Alpha-1-Antitrypsin: A Novel Human High Temperature Requirement Protease A1 (HTRA1) Substrate in Human Placental Tissue
Frochaux, Violette; Hildebrand, Diana; Talke, Anja; Linscheid, Michael W.; Schlüter, Hartmut
The human serine protease high temperature requirement A1 (HTRA1) is highly expressed in the placental tissue, especially in the last trimester of gestation. This suggests that HTRA1 is involved in placental formation and function. With the aim of a better understanding of the role of HTRA1 in the placenta, candidate substrates were screened in a placenta protein extract using a gel-based mass spectrometric approach. Protease inhibitor alpha-1-antitrypsin, actin cytoplasmic 1, tropomyosin beta chain and ten further proteins were identified as candidate substrates of HTRA1. Among the identified candidate substrates, alpha-1-antitrypsin (A1AT) was considered to be of particular interest because of its important role as protease inhibitor. For investigation of alpha-1-antitrypsin as substrate of HTRA1 synthetic peptides covering parts of the sequence of alpha-1-antitrypsin were incubated with HTRA1. By mass spectrometry a specific cleavage site was identified after met-382 (AIPM382↓383SIPP) within the reactive centre loop of alpha-1-antitrypsin, resulting in a C-terminal peptide comprising 36 amino acids. Proteolytic removal of this peptide from alpha-1-antitrypsin results in a loss of its inhibitor function. Beside placental alpha-1-antitrypsin the circulating form in human plasma was also significantly degraded by HTRA1. Taken together, our data suggest a link between the candidate substrates alpha-1-antitrypsin and the function of HTRA1 in the placenta in the syncytiotrophoblast, the cell layer attending to maternal blood in the villous tree of the human placenta. Data deposition: Mass spectrometry (MS) data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000473. PMID:25329061
TGF-β1 up-regulates connexin43 expression: a potential mechanism for human trophoblast cell differentiation.
Cheng, Jung-Chien; Chang, Hsun-Ming; Fang, Lanlan; Sun, Ying-Pu; Leung, Peter C K
Connexin43 (Cx43)-mediated gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) are required for human trophoblast differentiation. To date, whether Cx43 mediates TGF-β1-induced trophoblast differentiation has not been determined. We showed that treatment with TGF-β1 increased Cx43 expression and GJIC in HTR-8/SVneo human trophoblast cells. In addition, Smad and ERK1/2 signaling pathways were involved in TGF-β1-induced up-regulation of Cx43. Moreover, TGF-β1 increased the expression of the syncytiotrophoblast marker, β-hCG. Importantly, knockdown of Cx43 abolished the TGF-β1-induced up-regulation of β-hCG. Furthermore, overexpression of Cx43 up-regulated β-hCG expression. These results provide evidence that Cx43 and GJIC activity are up-regulated by TGF-β1 in human trophoblast cells, which subsequently contributes to TGF-β1-induced trophoblast differentiation. PMID:25560303
Heightened potency of human pluripotent stem cell lines created by transient BMP4 exposure
Yang, Ying; Adachi, Katsuyuki; Sheridan, Megan A.; Alexenko, Andrei P.; Schust, Danny J.; Schulz, Laura C.; Ezashi, Toshihiko; Roberts, R. Michael
Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) show epiblast-type pluripotency that is maintained with ACTIVIN/FGF2 signaling. Here, we report the acquisition of a unique stem cell phenotype by both human ES cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in response to transient (24–36 h) exposure to bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) plus inhibitors of ACTIVIN signaling (A83-01) and FGF2 (PD173074), followed by trypsin dissociation and recovery of colonies capable of growing on a gelatin substratum in standard medium for human PSCs at low but not high FGF2 concentrations. The self-renewing cell lines stain weakly for CDX2 and strongly for NANOG, can be propagated clonally on either Matrigel or gelatin, and are morphologically distinct from human PSC progenitors on either substratum but still meet standard in vitro criteria for pluripotency. They form well-differentiated teratomas in immune-compromised mice that secrete human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) into the host mouse and include small areas of trophoblast-like cells. The cells have a distinct transcriptome profile from the human PSCs from which they were derived (including higher expression of NANOG, LEFTY1, and LEFTY2). In nonconditioned medium lacking FGF2, the colonies spontaneously differentiated along multiple lineages, including trophoblast. They responded to PD173074 in the absence of both FGF2 and BMP4 by conversion to trophoblast, and especially syncytiotrophoblast, whereas an A83-01/PD173074 combination favored increased expression of HLA-G, a marker of extravillous trophoblast. Together, these data suggest that the cell lines exhibit totipotent potential and that BMP4 can prime human PSCs to a self-renewing alternative state permissive for trophoblast development. The results may have implications for regulation of lineage decisions in the early embryo. PMID:25870291
Human pluripotent stem cells as a model of trophoblast differentiation in both normal development and disease.
Horii, Mariko; Li, Yingchun; Wakeland, Anna K; Pizzo, Donald P; Nelson, Katharine K; Sabatini, Karen; Laurent, Louise Chang; Liu, Ying; Parast, Mana M
Trophoblast is the primary epithelial cell type in the placenta, a transient organ required for proper fetal growth and development. Different trophoblast subtypes are responsible for gas/nutrient exchange (syncytiotrophoblasts, STBs) and invasion and maternal vascular remodeling (extravillous trophoblasts, EVTs). Studies of early human placental development are severely hampered by the lack of a representative trophoblast stem cell (TSC) model with the capacity for self-renewal and the ability to differentiate into both STBs and EVTs. Primary cytotrophoblasts (CTBs) isolated from early-gestation (6-8 wk) human placentas are bipotential, a phenotype that is lost with increasing gestational age. We have identified a CDX2(+)/p63(+) CTB subpopulation in the early postimplantation human placenta that is significantly reduced later in gestation. We describe a reproducible protocol, using defined medium containing bone morphogenetic protein 4 by which human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) can be differentiated into CDX2(+)/p63(+) CTB stem-like cells. These cells can be replated and further differentiated into STB- and EVT-like cells, based on marker expression, hormone secretion, and invasive ability. As in primary CTBs, differentiation of hPSC-derived CTBs in low oxygen leads to reduced human chorionic gonadotropin secretion and STB-associated gene expression, instead promoting differentiation into HLA-G(+) EVTs in an hypoxia-inducible, factor-dependent manner. To validate further the utility of hPSC-derived CTBs, we demonstrated that differentiation of trisomy 21 (T21) hPSCs recapitulates the delayed CTB maturation and blunted STB differentiation seen in T21 placentae. Collectively, our data suggest that hPSCs are a valuable model of human placental development, enabling us to recapitulate processes that result in both normal and diseased pregnancies. PMID:27325764
CpG methylation suppresses transcriptional activity of human syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues
Matouskova, Magda; Blazkova, Jana; Pajer, Petr; Pavlicek, Adam; Hejnar, Jiri . E-mail: email@example.com
Syncytin-1 is a captive envelope glycoprotein encoded by one of human endogenous retroviruses W. It is expressed exclusively in the placental trophoblast where it participates in cell-to-cell fusion during differentiation of syncytiotrophobast. In other tissues, however, syncytin-1 expression must be kept in check because inadvertent cell fusion might be dangerous for tissue organization and integrity. We describe here an inverse correlation between CpG methylation of syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat and its expression. Hypomethylation of the syncytin-1 5' long terminal repeat in the placenta and in the choriocarcinoma-derived cell line BeWo was detected. However, other analyzed primary cells and cell lines non-expressing syncytin-1 contain proviruses heavily methylated in this sequence. CpG methylation of syncytin-1 is resistant to the effect of the demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. The inhibitory role of CpG methylation is further confirmed by transient transfection of in-vitro-methylated syncytin-1 promoter-driven reporter construct. Altogether, we conclude that CpG methylation plays a principal role in the transcriptional suppression of syncytin-1 in non-placental tissues, and, in contrast, demethylation of the syncytin-1 promoter in trophoblast is a prerequisite for its expression and differentiation of multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast.
The role of CX3CL1 in fetal-maternal interaction during human gestation.
Kervancioglu Demirci, Elif; Salamonsen, Lois A; Gauster, Martin
Embryo implantation and subsequent placentation require a fine balanced fetal-maternal cross-talk of hormones, cytokines and chemokines. Amongst the group of chemokines, CX3CL1 (also known as fractalkine) has recently attracted attention in the field of reproductive research. It exists both as membrane-bound and soluble isoforms. On the basis of current experimental evidence, fractalkine is suggested to regulate adhesion and migration processes in fetal-maternal interaction at different stages of human pregnancy. Expressed by uterine glandular epithelial cells, predominantly during the mid-secretory phase of the menstrual cycle, fractalkine appears to prime the blastocyst for forthcoming implantation. After implantation, fractalkine is suggested to regulate invasion of extravillous trophoblasts by altering their expression profile of adhesion molecules. With onset of perfusion of the intervillous space at the end of first trimester, fractalkine present at the apical microvillous plasma membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast may mediate close interaction of placental villi with circulating maternal blood cells. PMID:26745855
Transferability of Trypanosoma cruzi from mixed human host infection to Triatoma infestans and from insects to axenic culture.
Ortiz, Sylvia; Zulantay, Inés; Apt, Werner; Saavedra, Miguel; Solari, Aldo
The etiologic agent of Chagas disease is Trypanosoma cruzi, a protozoan whose life cycle involves obligatory passage through vertebrate and invertebrate hosts in a series of stages. The aim of this study was to explore the transferability of mixed discrete typing units (DTUs) of T. cruzi present in chronic chagasic patients when passed through an invertebrate host during xenodiagnosis (XD) and then when transferred to axenic cultures to obtain T. cruzi isolates. DTUs of T. cruzi present in these two hosts and axenic cultures were identified by kDNA PCR amplification and subsequent hybridization with DTU-specific probes. Mixtures of Tc I, Tc II, Tc V and Tc VI DTUs were detected in blood samples. However as a result of XD and axenic cultures it was possible to identify mostly Tc V. We conclude that the transferability of an isolate of T.cruzi derived from mixed DTUs present in human blood depends upon the starved invertebrate host used for xenodiagnosis. PMID:25240699
Effects of cadmium of the human placenta in vitro
Wier, P.J.
Human placental lobules (25 g) were maintained in vitro for 12 hours by dual perfusion of the fetal vessels and intervillous space (maternal circulation). A synthetic tissue culture medium was used for the perfusates. Maternal perfusate was gassed with 95% O/sub 2//5% CO/sub 2/; fetal perfusate was gassed with 95% N/sub 2//5% CO/sub 2/. Both perfusates were recirculated (maternal 15-25 ml/min, fetal 3 ml/min) and exchanged for fresh perfusates every 4 hours. The integrity of the fetal vasculature was demonstrated by the stabilities of fetal arterial pressure (30-36 mm Hg) and circulatory volume (volume loss <2 ml/h). The metabolic viability of the placenta was documented by measurements of oxygen consumption (100-137 umole/min.kg), glucose consumption (133-163 umole/min.kg), and lactate production (163-229 umole/min.kg). Exposure of placenta to 10 nmole Cd/ml maternal perfusate led to accumulation of cadmium (45 nmole Cd/g), yet there was limited movement of cadmium from maternal to fetal circulations. This exposure did not result in significant changes in fetal capillary permeability of resistance, oxygen or glucose consumptions, lactate production, nCg release, transport of AlB by placental slices, or ultrastructure. Transfer of zinc from maternal to fetal circulations did not appear to be reduced. Exposure of perfused placenta to 100 nmole Cd/ml maternal perfusate resulted in a cadmium burden of 150 nmole Cd/g. This exposure induced syncytiotrophoblast necrosis, increased fetal capillary permeability, and reduced hCG release.
Effect of bromodichloromethane on chorionic gonadotrophin secretion by human placental trophoblast cultures.
Chen, Jiangang; Douglas, Gordon C; Thirkill, Twanda L; Lohstroh, Peter N; Bielmeier, Susan R; Narotsky, Michael G; Best, Deborah S; Harrison, Randy A; Natarajan, Kala; Pegram, Rex A; Overstreet, James W; Lasley, Bill L
Bromodichloromethane (BDCM) is a trihalomethane found in drinking water as a by-product of disinfection processes. BDCM is hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic in rodents and has been reported to cause strain-specific full-litter resorption in F344 rats during the luteinizing hormone-dependent phase of pregnancy. In humans, epidemiological studies suggest an association between exposure to BDCM in drinking water and increased risk of spontaneous abortion. To begin to address the mechanism(s) of BDCM-induced spontaneous abortion, we hypothesized that BDCM targets the placenta. Primary cultures of human term trophoblast cells were used as an in vitro model to test this hypothesis. Trophoblasts were allowed to differentiate into multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast-like colonies, after which they were incubated for 24 h with different concentrations of BDCM (20 nM to 2 mM). Culture media were collected and assayed for immunoreactive and bioactive chorionic gonadotropin (CG). Cultures exposed to BDCM showed a dose-dependent decrease in the secretion of immunoreactive CG as well as bioactive CG. The lowest effective BDCM concentration was 20 nM, approximately 35-times higher than the maximum concentration reported in human blood (0.57 nM). Trophoblast morphology and viability were similar in controls and cultures exposed to BDCM. We conclude that BDCM perturbs CG secretion by differentiated trophoblasts in vitro. This suggests that the placenta is a likely target of BDCM toxicity in the human and that this could be related to the adverse pregnancy outcomes associated with BDCM. PMID:12970577
Expression and Functional Activity of the Human Bitter Taste Receptor TAS2R38 in Human Placental Tissues and JEG-3 Cells.
Wölfle, Ute; Elsholz, Floriana A; Kersten, Astrid; Haarhaus, Birgit; Schumacher, Udo; Schempp, Christoph M
Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) are expressed in mucous epithelial cells of the tongue but also outside the gustatory system in epithelial cells of the colon, stomach and bladder, in the upper respiratory tract, in the cornified squamous epithelium of the skin as well as in airway smooth muscle cells, in the testis and in the brain. In the present work we addressed the question if bitter taste receptors might also be expressed in other epithelial tissues as well. By staining a tissue microarray with 45 tissue spots from healthy human donors with an antibody directed against the best characterized bitter taste receptor TAS2R38, we observed an unexpected strong TAS2R38 expression in the amniotic epithelium, syncytiotrophoblast and decidua cells of the human placenta. To analyze the functionality we first determined the TAS2R38 expression in the placental cell line JEG-3. Stimulation of these cells with diphenidol, a clinically used antiemetic agent that binds TAS2Rs including TAS2R38, demonstrated the functionality of the TAS2Rs by inducing calcium influx. Restriction enzyme based detection of the TAS2R38 gene allele identified JEG-3 cells as PTC (phenylthiocarbamide)-taster cell line. Calcium influx induced by PTC in JEG-3 cells could be inhibited with the recently described TAS2R38 inhibitor probenecid and proved the specificity of the TAS2R38 activation. The expression of TAS2R38 in human placental tissues points to further new functions and hitherto unknown endogenous ligands of TAS2Rs far beyond bitter tasting. PMID:26950109
Expression of factors involved in the regulation of angiogenesis in the full-term human placenta: Effects of in vitro fertilization.
Li, Chanjuan; Zhang, Yuan; Tang, Lisha; Zhao, Haijun; Gao, Chao; Gao, Li; Cui, Yugui; Liu, Jiayin
The effects of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) on the safety of pregnancy and the resulting offspring remain controversial. Studies of placental functions, especially vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, in pregnancies established through ART are helpful for furthering our understanding of the safety of ART. This study compares the expression profiles of angiogenic factors in human term placentas obtained from natural (NAT) pregnancies vs. placentas obtained from pregnancies that resulted from ART. Term placentas were obtained from women who underwent an ART procedure (n=4), and these were compared with term placentas that were obtained from women who had experienced a spontaneous pregnancy (controls, n=4). An array analysis was performed using the Human Angiogenesis Antibody Array to detect 43 angiogenic factors and to identify which of these factors were differentially expressed between the two groups. The expression of six of these factors was greater in the ART group than in the NAT group. The levels of four of them, including vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR3), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), interferon gamma (IFNG) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1), were quantified using western blot analysis. These factors were examined using immunohistochemistry and microscopy in vascular endothelial cells or the cytoplasm and membranes of syncytiotrophoblast cells. Our finding that selected angiogenic factors exhibit altered expression profiles in ART placentas might be significant when evaluating ART safety. PMID:27288334
Real-Time Tracking of BODIPY-C12 Long-Chain Fatty Acid in Human Term Placenta Reveals Unique Lipid Dynamics in Cytotrophoblast Cells
Louey, Samantha; Varlamov, Oleg; Thornburg, Kent
While the human placenta must provide selected long-chain fatty acids to support the developing fetal brain, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the transport process. We tracked the movement of the fluorescently labeled long-chain fatty acid analogue, BODIPY-C12, across the cell layers of living explants of human term placenta. Although all layers took up the fatty acid, rapid esterification of long-chain fatty acids and incorporation into lipid droplets was exclusive to the inner layer cytotrophoblast cells rather than the expected outer syncytiotrophoblast layer. Cytotrophoblast is a progenitor cell layer previously relegated to a repair role. As isolated cytotrophoblasts differentiated into syncytialized cells in culture, they weakened their lipid processing capacity. Syncytializing cells suppress previously active genes that regulate fatty-acid uptake (SLC27A2/FATP2, FABP4, ACSL5) and lipid metabolism (GPAT3, LPCAT3). We speculate that cytotrophoblast performs a previously unrecognized role in regulating placental fatty acid uptake and metabolism. PMID:27124483
Real-Time Tracking of BODIPY-C12 Long-Chain Fatty Acid in Human Term Placenta Reveals Unique Lipid Dynamics in Cytotrophoblast Cells.
Kolahi, Kevin; Louey, Samantha; Varlamov, Oleg; Thornburg, Kent
While the human placenta must provide selected long-chain fatty acids to support the developing fetal brain, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the transport process. We tracked the movement of the fluorescently labeled long-chain fatty acid analogue, BODIPY-C12, across the cell layers of living explants of human term placenta. Although all layers took up the fatty acid, rapid esterification of long-chain fatty acids and incorporation into lipid droplets was exclusive to the inner layer cytotrophoblast cells rather than the expected outer syncytiotrophoblast layer. Cytotrophoblast is a progenitor cell layer previously relegated to a repair role. As isolated cytotrophoblasts differentiated into syncytialized cells in culture, they weakened their lipid processing capacity. Syncytializing cells suppress previously active genes that regulate fatty-acid uptake (SLC27A2/FATP2, FABP4, ACSL5) and lipid metabolism (GPAT3, LPCAT3). We speculate that cytotrophoblast performs a previously unrecognized role in regulating placental fatty acid uptake and metabolism. PMID:27124483
Endothelin A and B receptors change their expression levels during development of human placental villi.
Cervar, M; Huppertz, B; Barth, S; Hahn, T; Weiss, U; Kaufmann, P; Desoye, G
Endothelin receptors have recently been found in non-vascular tissues including the human placenta. The present study investigated developmental changes in location and expression levels of endothelin A and B receptors (ETA-R, ETB-R) in human placentae and isolated trophoblast by comparing first and third trimester tissues. In the first trimester all cells and tissues were immunolabelled for ETA-R and ETB-R, whereas in third trimester placentae the syncytiotrophoblast (ETA-R, ETB-R) and macrophages (ETA-R) were unstained. Immunoblotting for both receptors revealed up to three bands at 33-35, 50 and 75 kDa, respectively, which were differentially present in the first and third trimester. Pre-adsorption of antibodies with oligopeptides used for antigen-generation weakened the immunoreactions. ETA-R protein levels decreased (P< 0.05) in total villous tissue and isolated trophoblast, whereas ETB-R was unchanged. ETB-R transcripts (RT-PCR) prevailed in both stages and tissues, but in contrast to the protein levels its preponderance decreased from first trimester to term in villous tissue (P< 0.01), because of a four to five-fold increase in ETA-R and only a two-fold (P< 0.05) increase in ETB-R mRNA levels (P< 0.01). We conclude that ET receptor location, intracellular processing and expression levels in human villous tissue change between the first and third trimester. This may reflect changing functions of ET-1 during placental development. PMID:10940204
Regulation of the syncytin-1 promoter in human astrocytes by multiple sclerosis-related cytokines
Mameli, Giuseppe . E-mail: email@example.com; Astone, Vito; Khalili, Kamel; Serra, Caterina; Sawaya, Bassel E.; Dolei, Antonina
Syncytin-1 has a physiological role during early pregnancy, as mediator of trophoblast fusion into the syncytiotrophoblast layer, hence allowing embryo implantation. In addition, its expression in nerve tissue has been proposed to contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Syncytin-1 is the env glycoprotein of the ERVWE1 component of the W family of human endogenous retroviruses (HERV), located on chromosome 7q21-22, in a candidate region for genetic susceptibility to MS. The mechanisms of ERVWE1 regulation in nerve tissue remain to be identified. Since there are correlations between some cytokines and MS outcome, we examined the regulation of the syncytin-1 promoter by MS-related cytokines in human U-87MG astrocytic cells. Using transient transfection assays, we observed that the MS-detrimental cytokines TNF{alpha}, interferon-{gamma}, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1 activate the ERVWE1 promoter, while the MS-protective interferon-{beta} is inhibitory. The effects of cytokines are reduced by the deletion of the cellular enhancer domain of the promoter that contains binding sites for several transcription factors. In particular, we found that TNF{alpha} had the ability to activate the ERVWE1 promoter through an NF-{kappa}B-responsive element located within the enhancer domain of the promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift and ChIP assays showed that TNF{alpha} enhances the binding of the p65 subunit of NF-{kappa}B, to its cognate site within the promoter. The effect of TNF{alpha} is abolished by siRNA directed against p65. Taken together, these results illustrate a role for p65 in regulating the ERVWE1 promoter and in TNF{alpha}-mediated induction of syncytin-1 in multiple sclerosis.
RhoGDI2 is expressed in human trophoblasts and involved in their migration by inhibiting the activation of RAC1.
Liu, Sishi; Cui, Hong; Li, Qiuling; Zhang, Lijuan; Na, Quan; Liu, Caixia
The invasion of placental trophoblast cells into the maternal decidua is an essential aspect of placental embedment. The process of placentation bears several striking similarities to tumor cell metastasis. However, trophoblastic migration during implantation and placentation is stringently controlled both in space and time. RhoGDI2 belongs to a family of Rho guanosine diphosphate dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs), and RhoGDI2 is a metastasis suppressor gene and a marker of aggressive human cancer. We evaluated whether RhoGDI2 has a physiological role in embryo implantation, particularly trophoblast migration. The mRNA and protein expression levels of RhoGDI2 were higher in term placentas compared with first-trimester placentas as detected by real-time PCR and Western blot. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that RhoGDI2 localized to the cytotrophoblast layer and extravillous trophoblast in first-trimester placentas and was distributed in the syncytiotrophoblast layers of term placentas. Overexpression of RhoGDI2 in HTR-8/SVneo cells was associated with reduced RAC1-guanosine triphosphate (GTP) levels and inhibited cell migration. Conversely, small interfering RNA-mediated downregulation of RhoGDI2 resulted in significantly increased RAC1-GTP levels. Altered RhoGDI2 expression had no significant effects on cell proliferation. In conclusion, RhoGDI2 inhibits trophoblast cell migration, and this function may involve suppression of RAC1 activation. PMID:24554735
On the factors which contribute to thinning of the villous membrane in human placentae at high altitude. II. An increase in the degree of peripheralization of fetal capillaries.
Jackson, M R; Mayhew, T M; Haas, J D
The contribution made by fetal capillary peripheralization to the thinning of the villous membrane seen in human placentae from high-altitude pregnancies is examined by stereological methods. Variables characterizing the shape of the villous core and the spatial relationships between trophoblast and capillaries are quantified. They shed light on the relative importance of dynamic versus mechanistic processes of villous membrane attenuation. Highland villi differ from lowland villi in several ways. On average, they possess a thinner barrier due to closer approximation of capillaries to overlying trophoblast; in consequence, the villous core is more irregular in outline and its surface (that of the inner aspect of the trophoblast) exceeds in area that of the outer aspect of the trophoblast. These results suggest that the dynamic process (protoplasmic streaming within syncytiotrophoblast) cannot alone explain thinning of the villous membrane. A mechanistic process (capillary peripheralization and obtrusion into the trophoblastic epithelium) is sufficient to account for the differences observed, although the possibility that both processes operate concurrently cannot be discounted. This report completes a study into factors contributing to villous membrane thinning at high altitude. PMID:3362794
Localization of major histocompatibility complex class I and II mRNA in human first-trimester chorionic villi by in situ hybridization.
Lata, J A; Tuan, R S; Shepley, K J; Mulligan, M M; Jackson, L G; Smith, J B
Maternal immune recognition of pregnancy occurs despite the nonexpression of classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigenic determinants by chorionic villous trophoblast, which comprise the major surface area where maternal blood contacts fetal-derived cells. cDNA-mRNA in situ hybridization was used to probe expression of transcripts corresponding to nonpolymorphic MHC determinants in first-trimester chorionic villus samples. The HLA-B7 probe hybridization signals were localized to syncytiotrophoblast and to cells of the mesenchyme but not to villous cytotrophoblast. HLA-G mRNA was found only in syncytiotrophoblast. A DR beta clone hybridized to both villous cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast. The results suggest that expression of trophoblast class I and class II determinants early in gestation (10 wk) may be regulated by posttranscriptional events. This also suggests the potential for maternal antifetal alloimmune responses. PMID:1552281
Global protein synthesis in human trophoblast is resistant to inhibition by hypoxia
Williams, S.F.; Fik, E.; Zamudio, S.; Illsley, N.P.
Placental growth and function depend on syncytial cell processes which require the continuing synthesis of cellular proteins. The substantial energy demands of protein synthesis are met primarily from oxidative metabolism. Although the responses of individual proteins produced by the syncytiotrophoblast to oxygen deprivation have been investigated previously, there is no information available on global protein synthesis in syncytiotrophoblast under conditions of hypoxia. These studies were designed to test the hypothesis that syncytial protein synthesis is decreased in a dose-dependent manner by hypoxia. Experiments were performed to measure amino acid incorporation into proteins in primary syncytiotrophoblast cells exposed to oxygen concentrations ranging from 0 to 10%. Compared to cells exposed to normoxia (10% O2), no changes were observed following exposure to 5% or 3% O2, but after exposure to 1% O2, protein synthesis after 24 and 48 h decreased by 24% and 23% and with exposure to 0% O2, by 65% and 50%. As a consequence of these results, we hypothesized that global protein synthesis in conditions of severe hypoxia was being supported by glucose metabolism. Additional experiments were performed therefore to examine the role of glucose in supporting protein synthesis. These demonstrated that at each oxygen concentration there was a significant, decreasing linear trend in protein synthesis as glucose concentration was reduced. Under conditions of near-anoxia and in the absence of glucose, protein synthesis was reduced by >85%. Even under normoxic conditions (defined as 10% O2) and in the presence of oxidative substrates, reductions in glucose were accompanied by decreases in protein synthesis. These experiments demonstrate that syncytiotrophoblast cells are resistant to reductions in protein synthesis at O2 concentrations greater than 1%. This could be explained by our finding that a significant fraction of protein synthesis in the syncytiotrophoblast is
The psychoactive compound of Cannabis sativa, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) inhibits the human trophoblast cell turnover.
Costa, M A; Fonseca, B M; Marques, F; Teixeira, N A; Correia-da-Silva, G
The noxious effects of cannabis consumption for fertility and pregnancy outcome are recognized for years. Its consumption during gestation is associated with alterations in foetal growth, low birth weight and preterm labor. The main psychoactive molecule of cannabis, Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) impairs the production of reproductive hormones and is also able to cross the placenta barrier. However, its effect on the main placental cells, the trophoblasts, are unknown. Actually, the role of THC in cell survival/death of primary human cytotrophoblasts (CTs) and syncytiotrophoblasts (STs) and in the syncytialization process remains to be explored. Here, we show that THC has a dual effect, enhancing MTT metabolism at low concentrations, whereas higher doses decreased cell viability, on both trophoblast phenotypes, though the effects on STs were more evident. THC also diminished the generation of oxidative and nitrative stress and the oxidized form of glutathione, whereas the reduced form of this tripeptide was increased, suggesting that THC prevents ST cell death due to an antioxidant effect. Moreover, this compound enhanced the mitochondrial function of STs, as observed by the increased MTT metabolism and intracellular ATP levels. These effects were independent of cannabinoid receptors activation. Besides, THC impaired CT differentiation into STs, since it decreased the expression of biochemical and morphological biomarkers of syncytialization, through a cannabinoid receptor-dependent mechanism. Together, these results suggest that THC interferes with trophoblast turnover, preventing trophoblast cell death and differentiation, and contribute to disclose the cellular mechanisms that lead to pregnancy complications in women that consume cannabis-derived drugs during gestation. PMID:26070387
Regulation of the human endogenous retroviral Syncytin-1 and cell-cell fusion by the nuclear hormone receptors PPARγ/RXRα in placentogenesis.
Ruebner, Matthias; Langbein, Manuela; Strissel, Pamela L; Henke, Christine; Schmidt, Doreen; Goecke, Tamme W; Faschingbauer, Florian; Schild, Ralf L; Beckmann, Matthias W; Strick, Reiner
Cytotrophoblast (CT) cell fusion into a syncytiotrophoblast is obligatory for placentation and mediated by the human endogenous retrovirus (HERV)-W envelope gene Syncytin-1. Abnormal placentation is associated with preeclampsia (PE), HELLP and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In placentogenesis, the MAP-kinase p38α regulates PPARγ/RXRα signaling and target genes, like leptin, resistin, ABCG2, and hCG. The aim of this study was to analyze PPARγ/RXRα signaling and target gene regulation using primary CT cultures, the trophoblastic cell line BeWo and placental tissues from patients with normal and abnormal placentation. CT from four different human control placentae and BeWo cells demonstrated that Syncytin-1, other signaling members and CT cell fusions were regulated with PPARγ/RXRα activators troglitazone and 9-cis retinoic acid, via protein kinase A and p38α inhibition. Significant discordant regulations between CTs and BeWo were found. Two PPARγ/RXRα-response-elements from upstream regulatory elements and the 5'LTR of HERV-W were confirmed with DNA-protein binding assays using nuclear extracts and recombinant PPARγ/RXRα proteins. These promoter elements were validated with luciferase assays in the presence of PPARγ/RXRα modulators. Furthermore, troglitazone or 9-cis retinoic acid treatment of siRNA-PPARγ and siRNA-RXRα transfected BeWo cells proved the requirement of these proteins for Syncytin-1 regulation. Thirty primary abnormal placentae from PE, HELLP and IUGR patients compared to 10 controls showed significant deregulation of leptin RNA and protein, p38α, phospho-p38α, PPARγ, ABCG2, INSL4 and Syncytin-1. Our study characterized PPARγ/RXRα signaling in human CT and cell fusions identifying Syncytin-1 as a new target gene. Based on these results, a disturbed PPARγ/RXRα pathway could contribute to pathological human pregnancies. PMID:22573555
Increased ubiquitination and reduced plasma membrane trafficking of placental amino acid transporter SNAT-2 in human IUGR.
Chen, Yi-Yung; Rosario, Fredrick J; Shehab, Majida Abu; Powell, Theresa L; Gupta, Madhulika B; Jansson, Thomas
Placental amino acid transport is decreased in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR); however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. We have shown that mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling regulates system A amino acid transport by modulating the ubiquitination and plasma membrane trafficking of sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT-2) in cultured primary human trophoblast cells. We hypothesize that IUGR is associated with (1) inhibition of placental mTORC1 and mTORC2 signalling pathways, (2) increased amino acid transporter ubiquitination in placental homogenates and (3) decreased protein expression of SNAT-2 in the syncytiotrophoblast microvillous plasma membrane (MVM). To test this hypothesis, we collected placental tissue and isolated MVM from women with pregnancies complicated by IUGR (n=25) and gestational age-matched women with appropriately grown control infants (n=19, birth weights between the twenty-fifth to seventy-fifth percentiles). The activity of mTORC1 and mTORC2 was decreased whereas the protein expression of the ubiquitin ligase NEDD4-2 (neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated protein 4-2; +72%, P<0.0001) and the ubiquitination of SNAT-2 (+180%, P<0.05) were increased in homogenates of IUGR placentas. Furthermore, IUGR was associated with decreased system A amino acid transport activity (-72%, P<0.0001) and SNAT-1 (-42%, P<0.05) and SNAT-2 (-31%, P<0.05) protein expression in MVM. In summary, these findings are consistent with the possibility that decreased placental mTOR activity causes down-regulation of placental system A activity by shifting SNAT-2 trafficking towards proteasomal degradation, thereby contributing to decreased fetal amino acid availability and restricted fetal growth in IUGR. PMID:26374858
Transfer of PAMAM Dendrimers across Human Placenta: Prospects of Its Use as Drug Carrier During Pregnancy
Menjoge, Anupa R.; Rinderknecht, Amber; Navath, Raghavendra S.; Faridnia, Masoud; Kim, Chong J.; Romero, Roberto; Miller, Richard K.; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M.
Dendrimers offer significant potential as nanocarriers for targeted delivery of drugs and imaging agents. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the transplacental transport, kinetics and biodistribution of PAMAM dendrimers ex-vivo across the human placenta in comparison with antipyrine, a freely diffusible molecule, using dually perfused re-circulating term human placental lobules. The purpose of this study is to determine if dendrimers as drug carriers can be used to design drug delivery systems directed at selectively treating either the mother or the fetus. The transplacental transfers of fluorescently (Alexa 488) tagged PAMAM dendrimer (16 kDa) and antipyrine (188 Da) from maternal to fetal circulation were measured using HPLC/dual UV and fluorescent detector (sensitivity of 10 ng / mL for dendrimer and 100 ng /mL for antipyrine respectively). Cmax for the dendrimer-Alexa (DA) in maternal perfusate (Tmax = 15min) was 18 times higher than in the fetal perfusate and never equilibrated with the maternal perfusate during 5.5 hours of perfusion (n=4). DA exhibited a significant but low transplacental transport of ~2.26 ± 0.12 μg / mL during 5.5 hours, where the mean transplacental transfer was 0.84 ±0.11 % of the total maternal concentration and the feto-maternal ratio as percent was 0.073% ± 0.02. The biochemical and physiological analysis of the placentae perfused with DA demonstrated normal function throughout the perfusion. The immunofluorescence histochemistry confirmed that the biodistribution of DA in perfused placenta was sparsely dispersed, and when noted was principally seen in the inter-villous spaces and outer rim of the villous branches. In a few cases, DA was found internalized and localized in nuclei and cytoplasm of syncytiotrophoblast and inside the villous core; however, DA was mostly absent from the villous capillaries. In conclusion, the PAMAM dendrimers exhibited a low rate of transfer from maternal to the fetal side across the
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tomasello, Michael
A human demonstrator showed human children and captive chimpanzees how to drag food or toys closer using a rakelike tool. One side of the rake was less efficient than the other for dragging. Chimps tried to reproduce results rather than methods while children imitated and used the more efficient rake side. Concludes that imitation leads to…
Localization and regulation of the human very low density lipoprotein/apolipoprotein-E receptor: trophoblast expression predicts a role for the receptor in placental lipid transport.
Wittmaack, F M; Gåfvels, M E; Bronner, M; Matsuo, H; McCrae, K R; Tomaszewski, J E; Robinson, S L; Strickland, D K; Strauss, J F
The very low density lipoprotein/apolipoprotein-E receptor (VLDLR) is the newest member of the low density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family. Very little is known about VLDLR localization and regulation. Immunohistochemical analysis of human placenta with a specific polyclonal antibody detected VLDLR in syncytiotrophoblast and intermediate trophoblast cells. VLDLR transcripts were also localized in these cells by in situ hybridization histochemistry. In addition, VLDLR messenger RNA (mRNA) was detected in villous core endothelial cells and cells appearing to be Hofbauer cells. Northern blot analysis of placenta revealed a 2.6-fold increase in VLDLR mRNA at term compared to that in the first trimester. The regulation of VLDLR expression was studied in JEG-3 and BeWo choriocarcinoma cells, two trophoblast-derived cell lines. Treatment of these cells with 8-bromo-cAMP caused a profound suppression of VLDLR message, whereas LDLR transcripts were increased. Incubation of JEG-3 cells with 25-hydroxycholesterol did not lead to sterol negative feedback on VLDLR gene expression, unlike LDLR mRNA, which declined markedly. Insulin (200 mg/L) up-regulated VLDLR message in JEG-3 cells 2-fold, as did the fibrate hypolipidemic drug, clofibric acid. We conclude that 1) VLDLR is expressed in human placental trophoblast cells in a pattern consistent with a role in placental lipid transport; 2) VLDLR expression is high at term relative to that in the first trimester; and 3) the trophoblast VLDLR is subject to down-regulation by cAMP and up-regulation by insulin and fibrate hypolipidemic drugs. PMID:7828550
Isolation and Characterization of Human Trophoblast Side-Population (SP) Cells in Primary Villous Cytotrophoblasts and HTR-8/SVneo Cell Line
Takao, Tomoka; Asanoma, Kazuo; Kato, Kiyoko; Fukushima, Kotaro; Tsunematsu, Ryosuke; Hirakawa, Toshio; Matsumura, Sueo; Seki, Hiroyuki; Takeda, Satoru; Wake, Norio
Recently, numerous studies have identified that immature cell populations including stem cells and progenitor cells can be found among "side-population" (SP) cells. Although SP cells isolated from some adult tissues have been reported elsewhere, isolation and characterization of human trophoblast SP remained to be reported. In this study, HTR-8/SVneo cells and human primary villous cytotrophoblasts (vCTBs) were stained with Hoechst 33342 and SP and non-SP (NSP) fractions were isolated using a cell sorter. A small population of SP cells was identified in HTR-8/SVneo cells and in vCTBs. SP cells expressed several vCTB-specific markers and failed to express syncytiotrophoblast (STB) or extravillous cytotrophopblast (EVT)-specific differentiation markers. SP cells formed colonies and proliferated on mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) feeder cells or in MEF conditioned medium supplemented with heparin/FGF2, and they also showed long-term repopulating property. SP cells could differentiate into both STB and EVT cell lineages and expressed several differentiation markers. Microarray analysis revealed that IL7R and IL1R2 were exclusively expressed in SP cells and not in NSP cells. vCTB cells sorted as positive for both IL7R and IL1R2 failed to express trophoblast differentiation markers and spontaneously differentiated into both STB and EVT in basal medium. These features shown by the SP cells suggested that IL7R and IL1R2 are available as markers to detect the SP cells and that vCTB progenitor cells and trophoblast stem cells were involved in the SP cell population. PMID:21760941
Human chorionic gonadotropin: Different glycoforms and biological activity depending on its source of production.
Fournier, Thierry
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is the first hormonal message from the placenta to the mother. It is detectable in maternal blood two days after implantation and behaves like a super LH agonist stimulating progesterone secretion by the corpus luteum. In addition to maintaining the production of progesterone until the placenta itself produces it, hCG also has a role in myometrial quiescence and local immune tolerance. Specific to humans, hCG is a complex glycoprotein composed of two highly glycosylated subunits. The α-subunit is identical to the pituitary gonadotropin hormones (LH, FSH, TSH), contains two N-glycosylation sites, and is encoded by a single gene (CGA). By contrast, the β-subunits are distinct for each hormones and confer both receptor and biological specificity, although LH and hCG bind to the same receptor (LH/CG-R). The hCG ß-subunit is encoded by a cluster of genes (CGB) and contains two sites of N-glycosylation and four sites of O-glycosylation. The hCG glycosylation state varies with the stage of pregnancy, its source of production and in the pathology. It is well established that hCG is mainly secreted into maternal blood, where it peaks at 8-10weeks of gestation (WG), by the syncytiotrophoblast (ST), which represents the endocrine tissue of the human placenta. The invasive extravillous trophoblast (iEVT) also secretes hCG, and in particular hyperglycosylated forms of hCG (hCG-H) also produced by choriocarcinoma cells. In maternal blood, hCG-H is elevated during early first trimester corresponding to the trophoblastic cell invasion process and then decreases. In addition to its endocrine role, hCG has autocrine and paracrine roles. It promotes formation of the ST and angiogenesis through LH/CG-R but has no effect on trophoblast invasion in vitro. By contrast, hCG-H stimulates trophoblast invasion and angiogenesis by interacting with the TGFß receptor in a LH/CG-R independent signalling pathway. hCG is largely used in antenatal screening
Human Development, Human Evolution.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Smillie, David
One of the truly remarkable events in human evolution is the unprecedented increase in the size of the brain of "Homo" over a brief span of 2 million years. It would appear that some significant selective pressure or opportunity presented itself to this branch of the hominid line and caused a rapid increase in the brain, introducing a wholly new…
A Positive Feedback Loop between Glial Cells Missing 1 and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Regulates Placental hCGβ Expression and Cell Differentiation
Cheong, Mei-Leng; Wang, Liang-Jie; Chuang, Pei-Yun; Chang, Ching-Wen; Lee, Yun-Shien; Lo, Hsiao-Fan; Tsai, Ming-Song
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is composed of a common α subunit and a placenta-specific β subunit. Importantly, hCG is highly expressed in the differentiated and multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast, which is formed via trophoblast cell fusion and stimulated by cyclic AMP (cAMP). Although the ubiquitous activating protein 2 (AP2) transcription factors TFAP2A and TFAP2C may regulate hCGβ expression, it remains unclear how cAMP stimulates placenta-specific hCGβ gene expression and trophoblastic differentiation. Here we demonstrated that the placental transcription factor glial cells missing 1 (GCM1) binds to a highly conserved promoter region in all six hCGβ paralogues by chromatin immunoprecipitation-on-chip (ChIP-chip) analyses. We further showed that cAMP stimulates GCM1 and the CBP coactivator to activate the hCGβ promoter through a GCM1-binding site (GBS1), which also constitutes a previously identified AP2 site. Given that TFAP2C may compete with GCM1 for GBS1, cAMP enhances the association between the hCGβ promoter and GCM1 but not TFAP2C. Indeed, the hCG-cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway also stimulates Ser269 and Ser275 phosphorylation of GCM1, which recruits CBP to mediate GCM1 acetylation and stabilization. Consequently, hCG stimulates the expression of GCM1 target genes, including the fusogenic protein syncytin-1, to promote placental cell fusion. Our study reveals a positive feedback loop between GCM1 and hCG regulating placental hCGβ expression and cell differentiation. PMID:26503785
New discoveries on the biology and detection of human chorionic gonadotropin
Cole, Laurence A
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a glycoprotein hormone comprising 2 subunits, alpha and beta joined non covalently. While similar in structure to luteinizing hormone (LH), hCG exists in multiple hormonal and non-endocrine agents, rather than as a single molecule like LH and the other glycoprotein hormones. These are regular hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG and the free beta-subunit of hyperglycosylated hCG. For 88 years regular hCG has been known as a promoter of corpus luteal progesterone production, even though this function only explains 3 weeks of a full gestations production of regular hCG. Research in recent years has explained the full gestational production by demonstration of critical functions in trophoblast differentiation and in fetal nutrition through myometrial spiral artery angiogenesis. While regular hCG is made by fused villous syncytiotrophoblast cells, extravillous invasive cytotrophoblast cells make the variant hyperglycosylated hCG. This variant is an autocrine factor, acting on extravillous invasive cytotrophoblast cells to initiate and control invasion as occurs at implantation of pregnancy and the establishment of hemochorial placentation, and malignancy as occurs in invasive hydatidiform mole and choriocarcinoma. Hyperglycosylated hCG inhibits apoptosis in extravillous invasive cytotrophoblast cells promoting cell invasion, growth and malignancy. Other non-trophoblastic malignancies retro-differentiate and produce a hyperglycosylated free beta-subunit of hCG (hCG free beta). This has been shown to be an autocrine factor antagonizing apoptosis furthering cancer cell growth and malignancy. New applications have been demonstrated for total hCG measurements and detection of the 3 hCG variants in pregnancy detection, monitoring pregnancy outcome, determining risk for Down syndrome fetus, predicting preeclampsia, detecting pituitary hCG, detecting and managing gestational trophoblastic diseases, diagnosing quiescent gestational trophoblastic
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Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations of Maternal Circulation: Wall Shear Stress in the Human Placenta and Its Biological Implications
Lecarpentier, E.; Bhatt, M.; Bertin, G. I.; Deloison, B.; Salomon, L. J.; Deloron, P.; Fournier, T.; Barakat, A. I.; Tsatsaris, V.
Introduction In the human placenta the maternal blood circulates in the intervillous space (IVS). The syncytiotrophoblast (STB) is in direct contact with maternal blood. The wall shear stress (WSS) exerted by the maternal blood flow on the STB has not been evaluated. Our objective was to determine the physiological WSS exerted on the surface of the STB during the third trimester of pregnancy. Material and Methods To gain insight into the shear stress levels that the STB is expected to experience in vivo, we have formulated three different computational models of varying levels of complexity that reflect different physical representations of the IVS. Computations of the flow fields in all models were performed using the CFD module of the finite element code COMSOL Multiphysics 4.4. The mean velocity of maternal blood in the IVS during the third trimester was measured in vivo with dynamic MRI (0.94±0.14 mm.s-1). To investigate if the in silico results are consistent with physiological observations, we studied the cytoadhesion of human parasitized (Plasmodium falciparum) erythrocytes to primary human STB cultures, in flow conditions with different WSS values. Results The WSS applied to the STB is highly heterogeneous in the IVS. The estimated average values are relatively low (0.5±0.2 to 2.3±1.1 dyn.cm-2). The increase of WSS from 0.15 to 5 dyn.cm-2 was associated with a significant decrease of infected erythrocyte cytoadhesion. No cytoadhesion of infected erythrocytes was observed above 5 dyn.cm-2 applied for one hour. Conclusion Our study provides for the first time a WSS estimation in the maternal placental circulation. In spite of high maternal blood flow rates, the average WSS applied at the surface of the chorionic villi is low (<5 dyn.cm-2). These results provide the basis for future physiologically-relevant in vitro studies of the biological effects of WSS on the STB. PMID:26815115
[Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in the placenta and fetuses of mice with Chagasic acute infection].
Alarcón, Maritza; Pérez, Mary Carmen; Villarreal, Juana; Araujo, Sonia; Goncalves, Loredana; González, Anajulia; Moreno, Elio; Lugo-Yarbuh, Ana
The objective of the present study was to detect the presence of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in the placenta and fetal tissues of NMRI mice (Mus musculus) inoculated with 22 x 10(3) trypomastigotes metacyclic of the M/HOM/BRA/53/Y strain by intraperitoneal route. Mice were pregnant in the acute phase of the infection. The course of patent parasitemia by T. cruzi was evaluated before mating and during pregnancy. At day twenty of gestation, animals were sacrificed and the fetuses and their placentas were removed to evaluate T. cruzi infection. Samples of fetal placenta, heart and skeletal muscle were fixed in 10%, formalin, included in paraffin and stained with hematoxilin and eosin (HE). The histopathological study of sections of fetal tissues revealed inflammatory infiltrates with mononuclear and polymorphonuclear cells and without parasitism in these tissues. The amplification of T. cruzi DNA by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) showed a positive reaction in 18% of placental tissue of pregnant infected mice. The samples of heart and skeletal muscle of the fetuses of mothers infected with T. cruzi did not show the presence T. cruzi DNA. The placenta and skeletal muscle of the fetuses analyzed by Peroxidase anti Peroxidase inmunostaining showed T. cruzi antigens in those tissues. Negative results by PCR in fetal tissues might be related with the virulence and tropism associated with the biological and genetic characteristic Of the T. cruzi strain used in the experimental infection of female mice. PMID:19961056
Novel 3-nitrotriazole-based amides and carbinols as bifunctional anti-Chagasic agents
Papadopoulou, Maria V.; Bloomer, William D.; Lepesheva, Galina I.; Rosenzweig, Howard S.; Kaiser, Marcel; Aguilera-Venegas, Benjamín; Wilkinson, Shane R.; Chatelain, Eric; Ioset, Jean-Robert
3-Nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole-based amides with a linear, rigid core and 3-nitrotriazole-based fluconazole analogs were synthesized as dual functioning antitrypanosomal agents. Such compounds are excellent substrates for type I nitroreductase (NTR) located in the mitochondrion of trypanosomatids and, at the same time, act as inhibitors of the sterol 14α-demethylase (T. cruzi CYP51) enzyme. Because combination treatments against parasites are often superior to monotherapy, we believe that this emerging class of bifunctional compounds may introduce a new generation of antitrypanosomal drugs. In the present work, the synthesis and in vitro and in vivo evaluation of such compounds is discussed. PMID:25580906
Design, Construction, and Evaluation of a Specific Chimeric Antigen To Diagnose Chagasic Infection
Aguirre, Sebastián; Silber, Ariel M.; Brito, Maria Edileuza F.; Ribone, María E.; Lagier, Claudia M.; Marcipar, Iván S.
Chagas' disease is routinely diagnosed by detecting specific antibodies (Abs) using serological methods. The methodology has the drawback of potential cross-reactions with Abs raised during other infectious and autoimmune diseases (AID). Fusion of DNA sequences encoding antigenic proteins is a versatile tool to engineer proteins to be used as sensitizing elements in serological tests. A synthetic gene encoding a chimeric protein containing the C-terminal region of C29 and the N-terminal region of TcP2β was constructed. A 236-serum panel, composed of 104 reactive and 132 nonreactive sera to Chagas' disease, was used to evaluate the performance of the chimera. Among the nonreactive sera, 65 were from patients with AID (systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis) or patients infected with Leishmania brasiliensis, Brucella abortus, Streptococcus pyogenes, or Toxoplasma gondii. The diagnostic performances of the complete TcP2β (TcP2βFL) and its N-terminal region (TcP2βN) were evaluated. TcP2βFL showed unspecific recognition toward leishmaniasis (40%) and AID Abs (58%), while TcP2βN showed no unspecific recognition. The diagnostic utility of the chimera was evaluated by analyzing reactivity and comparing the results with those obtained with TcP2βN. The chimera reactivity was higher than that of the peptide fractions (0.874 versus 0.564 optical density, P = 0.0017). The detectability and specificity were both 100% for the whole serum panel tested. We conclude that the obtained chimera shows an improved selectivity and sensitivity compared with other ones previously reported, therefore displaying an optimized performance for Trypanosoma cruzi infection diagnosis. PMID:17021107
Use of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in fulminant chagasic myocarditis as a bridge to heart transplant
Durães, André Rodrigues; Figueira, Fernando Augusto Marinho dos Santos; Lafayette, André Rabelo; Martins, Juliana de Castro Solano; Juliano Cavalcante de, Sá
A 17-year-old Brazilian male presented with progressive dyspnea for 15 days, worsening in the last 24 hours, and was admitted in respiratory failure and cardiogenic shock, with multiple organ dysfunctions. Echocardiography showed a left ventricle ejection fraction of 11%, severe diffuse hypokinesia, and a systolic pulmonary artery pressure of 50mmHg, resulting in the need for hemodynamic support with dobutamine (20mcg/kg/min) and noradrenaline (1.7mcg/kg/min). After 48 hours with no clinical or hemodynamic improvement, an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was implanted. The patient presented with hemodynamic, systemic perfusion and renal and liver function improvements; however, his cardiac function did not recover after 72 hours, and he was transfer to another hospital. Air transport was conducted from Salvador to Recife in Brazil. A heart transplant was performed with rapid recovery of both liver and kidney functions, as well as good graft function. Histopathology of the explanted heart showed chronic active myocarditis and amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. The estimated global prevalence of T. cruzi infections declined from 18 million in 1991, when the first regional control initiative began, to 5.7 million in 2010. Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease due to infectious or non-infectious conditions. Clinical manifestation is variable, ranging from subclinical presentation to refractory heart failure and cardiogenic shock. Several reports suggest that the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in patients presenting with severe refractory myocarditis is a potential bridging therapy to heart transplant when there is no spontaneous recovery of ventricular function. In a 6-month follow-up outpatient consult, the patient presented well and was asymptomatic. PMID:26761479
Current and emerging therapeutic options for the treatment of chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy
Muratore, Claudio A; Baranchuk, Adrian
Chagas' disease is an endemic disease in Latin America caused by a unicellular parasite (Trypanosoma cruzi) that affects almost 18 million people. This condition involves the heart, causing heart failure, arrhythmias, heart block, thromboembolism, stroke, and sudden death. In this article, we review the current and emerging treatment of Chagas' cardiomyopathy focusing mostly on management of heart failure and arrhythmias. Heart failure therapeutical options including drugs, stem cells and heart transplantation are revised. Antiarrhythmic drugs, catheter ablation, and intracardiac devices are discussed as well. Finally, the evidence for a potential role of specific antiparasitic treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular disease is reviewed. PMID:20730015
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Localization of transforming growth factor-beta at the human fetal-maternal interface: role in trophoblast growth and differentiation.
Graham, C H; Lysiak, J J; McCrae, K R; Lala, P K
We examined the localization of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta in first-trimester and term human decidua and chorionic villi and explored the role of this factor on the proliferation and differentiation of cultured trophoblast cells. Two antibodies, 1D11.16.8, a mouse monoclonal neutralizing antibody capable of recognizing both TGF-beta 1 and TGF-beta 2 and CL-B1/29, a rabbit polyclonal antibody capable of recognizing TGF-beta 2, were used to immunolocalize TGF-beta in fixed, paraffin-embedded, or fixed, frozen sections of placenta and decidua, providing similar results. Intense labeling was observed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the first-trimester decidua and cytoplasm of term decidual cells. Syncytiotrophoblast cell cytoplasm as well as the ECM in the core of the chorionic villi of both first-trimester and term placentas exhibited a moderate degree of labeling. Strong cytoplasmic labeling was observed in the cytotrophoblastic shell of the term placenta. To examine the role of TGF-beta on trophoblast proliferation and differentiation, early passage cultures of first-trimester and primary cultures of term trophoblast cells were established and characterized on the basis of numerous immunocytochemical and functional markers. These cells expressed cytokeratin, placental alkaline phosphatase, urokinase-type plasminogen activator, and pregnancy-specific beta glycoprotein, but not factor VIII or 63D3; they also produced hCG and collagenase type IV. Exposure of first-trimester trophoblast cultures to TGF-beta 1 significantly inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. An antiproliferative effect was also noted in the presence of TGF-beta 2. These effects were abrogated in the presence of the neutralizing anti-TGF-beta antibody (1D11.16.8) in a concentration-dependent manner. In a 3-day culture, exogenous TGF-beta 1 stimulated formation of multinucleated cells by the first trimester as well as term trophoblast cells. Addition of neutralizing anti
Vitamin C Supplementation Ameliorates the Adverse Effects of Nicotine on Placental Hemodynamics and Histology in Non-Human Primates
Lo, Jamie O.; Schabel, Matthias C.; Roberts, Victoria H.J.; Morgan, Terry K.; Rasanen, Juha P.; Kroenke, Christopher D.; Shoemaker, Ms. Sophie R.; Spindel, Eliot R.; Frias, Antonio E.
Objective We previously demonstrated that prenatal nicotine exposure decreases neonatal pulmonary function in non-human primates (NHP) and maternal Vitamin C supplementation attenuates these deleterious effects. However, nicotine's effect on placental perfusion and development is not fully understood. This study utilizes non-invasive imaging techniques and histological analysis in a NHP model to test the hypothesis that prenatal nicotine exposure adversely effects placental hemodynamics and development, but is ameliorated by Vitamin C. Study Design Time-mated macaques (n=27) in 4 treatment groups: control (n=5), nicotine only (n=4), Vitamin C only (n=9), and nicotine plus Vitamin C (n=9). Nicotine animals received 2mg/kg/day of nicotine bitartrate (~0.7mg/kg/day free nicotine levels in pregnant human smokers) from days 26–160 (term, 168 days). Vitamin C groups received ascorbic acid at 50, 100 or 250mg/kg/day with or without nicotine. All underwent placental Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) at 135–140 days and Doppler ultrasound at 155 days to measure uterine artery and umbilical vein velocimetry and diameter to calculate uterine artery volume blood flow (cQuta) and placental volume blood flow (cQuv). Animals were delivered by cesarean section at 160 days. A novel DCE-MRI protocol was utilized to calculate placental perfusion from maternal spiral arteries. Placental tissue was processed for histopathology. Results Placental volume blood flow (cQuv) was significantly reduced in nicotine only animals compared with controls and nicotine plus Vitamin C groups (p=0.03). Maternal placental blood flow was not different between experimental groups by DCE-MRI ranging from 0.75–1.94 ml/ml/min (p=0.93). Placental histology showed increased numbers of villous cytotrophoblast cell islands (p<0.05) and increased syncytiotrophoblast sprouting (p<0.001) in nicotine only animals, which was mitigated by Vitamin C. Conclusion Prenatal nicotine exposure significantly
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kates, Robert W.
Presents the report of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee in Human Rights which seeks to ease the plight of individual scientists, engineers, and medical personnel suffering severe repression. Case studies of instances of negligence of human rights are provided. (CP)
Placental Syncytium Forms a Biophysical Barrier against Pathogen Invasion
Zeldovich, Varvara B.; Clausen, Casper H.; Bradford, Emily; Fletcher, Daniel A.; Maltepe, Emin; Robbins, Jennifer R.; Bakardjiev, Anna I.
Fetal syncytiotrophoblasts form a unique fused multinuclear surface that is bathed in maternal blood, and constitutes the main interface between fetus and mother. Syncytiotrophoblasts are exposed to pathogens circulating in maternal blood, and appear to have unique resistance mechanisms against microbial invasion. These are due in part to the lack of intercellular junctions and their receptors, the Achilles heel of polarized mononuclear epithelia. However, the syncytium is immune to receptor-independent invasion as well, suggesting additional general defense mechanisms against infection. The difficulty of maintaining and manipulating primary human syncytiotrophoblasts in culture makes it challenging to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of host defenses in this unique tissue. Here we present a novel system to study placental pathogenesis using murine trophoblast stem cells (mTSC) that can be differentiated into syncytiotrophoblasts and recapitulate human placental syncytium. Consistent with previous results in primary human organ cultures, murine syncytiotrophoblasts were found to be resistant to infection with Listeria monocytogenes via direct invasion and cell-to-cell spread. Atomic force microscopy of murine syncytiotrophoblasts demonstrated that these cells have a greater elastic modulus than mononuclear trophoblasts. Disruption of the unusually dense actin structure – a diffuse meshwork of microfilaments - with Cytochalasin D led to a decrease in its elastic modulus by 25%. This correlated with a small but significant increase in invasion of L. monocytogenes into murine and human syncytium. These results suggest that the syncytial actin cytoskeleton may form a general barrier against pathogen entry in humans and mice. Moreover, murine TSCs are a genetically tractable model system for the investigation of specific pathways in syncytial host defenses. PMID:24348256
Russo, M T
The term "human action" designates the intentional and deliberate movement that is proper and exclusive to mankind. Human action is a unified structure: knowledge, intention or volition, deliberation, decision or choice of means and execution. The integration between these dimensions appears as a task that demands strength of will to achieve the synthesis of self-possession and self-control that enables full personal realisation. Recently, the debate about the dynamism of human action has been enriched by the contribution of neurosciences. Thanks to techniques of neuroimaging, neurosciences have expanded the field of investigation to the nature of volition, to the role of the brain in decision-making processes and to the notion of freedom and responsibility. PMID:20393686
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wilson, David McKay
The shadowy, criminal nature of human trafficking makes evaluating its nature and scope difficult. The U.S. State Department and anti-trafficking groups estimate that worldwide some 27 million people are caught in a form of forced servitude today. Public awareness of modern-day slavery is gaining momentum thanks to new abolitionist efforts. Among…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Wharram, C. C.
In this essay C. C. Wharram argues that Terence's concept of translation as a form of "contamination" anticipates recent developments in philosophy, ecology, and translation studies. Placing these divergent fields of inquiry into dialogue enables us read Terence's well-known statement "I am a human being--I deem nothing…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Goodwin, Donn; And Others
This article reports on a pilot course in humanities team-taught by three teachers, two from a senior high-school and one from a junior high-school, in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The specific subject matter is Greek and Roman culture. The curriculum is outlined and the basic reading list is included. (CLK)
Chastel, C
Unlike other recent viral emergences, which were in majority caused by RNA viruses, the monkeypox results from infection by a DNA virus, an orthopoxvirus closely related to both vaccine and smallpox viruses and whose two genomic variants are known. Unexpectedly isolated from captive Asiatic monkeys and first considered as an laboratory curiosity, this virus was recognised in 1970 as an human pathogen in tropical Africa. Here it was responsible for sporadic cases following intrusions (for hunting) into tropical rain forests or rare outbreak with human-to-human transmission as observed in 1996 in Democratic Republic of Congo. As monkeypox in humans is not distinguishable from smallpox (a disease globally eradicated in 1977) it was only subjected to vigilant epidemiological surveillance and not considered as a potential threat outside Africa. This point of view radically changed in 2003 when monkeypox was introduced in the USA by African wild rodents and spread to 11 different states of this country. Responsible for 82 infections in American children and adults, this outbreak led to realize the sanitary hazards resulting from international trade of exotic animals and scientific investigations increasing extensively our knowledge of this zoonosis. PMID:18394820
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cirillo, Michelle
In this article, the author explores the history and the mathematics used by Newton and Leibniz in their invention of calculus. The exploration of this topic is intended to show students that mathematics is a human invention. Suggestions are made to help teachers incorporate the mathematics and the history into their own lessons. (Contains 3…
Effects of individually silenced N-glycosylation sites and non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms on the fusogenic function of human syncytin-2
Cui, Lina; Wang, Huiying; Lu, Xiaoyin; Wang, Rui; Zheng, Ru; Li, Yue; Yang, Xiaokui; Jia, Wen-Tong; Zhao, Yangyu; Wang, Yongqing; Wang, Haibin; Wang, Yan-Ling; Zhu, Cheng; Lin, Hai-Yan; Wang, Hongmei
ABSTRACT The placental syncytiotrophoblast, which is formed by the fusion of cytotrophoblast cells, is indispensable for the establishment and maintenance of normal pregnancy. The human endogenous retrovirus envelope glycoprotein syncytin-2 is the most important player in mediating trophoblast cell-cell fusion as a fusogen. We constructed expression plasmids of wild-type and 21 single-amino-acid substitution mutants of syncytin-2, including 10 N-glycosylation sites individually silenced by mutagenizing N to Q, 1 naturally occurring single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) N118S that introduced an N-glycosylation site, and another 10 non-synonymous SNPs located within important functional domains. We observed that syncytin-2 was highly fusogenic and that the mutants had different capacities in merging 293T cells. Of the 21 mutants, N133Q, N312Q, N443Q, C46R (in the CXXC motif) and R417H (in the heptad repeat region and immunosuppressive domain) lost their fusogenicity, whereas N332Q, N118S, T367M (in the fusion peptide), V483I (in the transmembrane domain) and T522M (in the cytoplasmic domain) enhanced the fusogenic activity. We also proved that N133, N146, N177, N220, N241, N247, N312, N332 and N443 were all glycosylated in 293T cells. A co-immunoprecipitation assay showed compromised interaction between mutants N443Q, C46R, T367M, R417H and the receptor MFSD2A, whereas N118S was associated with more receptors. We also sequenced the coding sequence of syncytin-2 in 125 severe pre-eclamptic patients and 272 normal pregnant Chinese women. Surprisingly, only 1 non-synonymous SNP T522M was found and the frequencies of heterozygous carriers were not significantly different. Taken together, our results suggest that N-glycans at residues 133, 312, 332 and 443 of syncytin-2 are required for optimal fusion induction, and that SNPs C46R, N118S, T367M, R417H, V483I and T522M can alter the fusogenic function of syncytin-2. PMID:26853155
Placental endoplasmic reticulum stress negatively regulates transcription of placental growth factor via ATF4 and ATF6β: implications for the pathophysiology of human pregnancy complications
Mizuuchi, Masahito; Cindrova‐Davies, Tereza; Olovsson, Matts; Charnock‐Jones, D Stephen; Burton, Graham J
Abstract Low maternal circulating concentrations of placental growth factor (PlGF) are one of the hallmarks of human pregnancy complications, including fetal growth restriction (FGR) and early‐onset pre‐eclampsia (PE). Currently, PlGF is used clinically with other biomarkers to screen for high‐risk cases, although the mechanisms underlying its regulation are largely unknown. Placental endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has recently been found to be elevated in cases of FGR, and to an even greater extent in early‐onset PE complicated with FGR. ER stress activates the unfolded protein response (UPR); attenuation of protein translation and a reduction in cell growth and proliferation play crucial roles in the pathophysiology of these complications of pregnancy. In this study, we further identified that ER stress regulates release of PlGF. We first observed that down‐regulation of PlGF protein was associated with nuclear localization of ATF4, ATF6α and ATF6β in the syncytiotrophoblast of placentae from PE patients. Transcript analysis showed a decrease of PlGF mRNA, and an increase from genes encoding those UPR transcription factors in placentae from cases of early‐onset PE, but not of late‐onset (>34 weeks) PE, compared to term controls. Further investigations indicated a strong correlation between ATF4 and PlGF mRNA levels only (r = − 0.73, p < 0.05). These results could be recapitulated in trophoblast‐like cells exposed to chemical inducers of ER stress or hypoxia–reoxygenation. The stability of PlGF transcripts was unchanged. The use of small interfering RNA specific for transcription factors in the UPR pathways revealed that ATF4 and ATF6β, but not ATF6α, modulate PlGF transcription. To conclude, ATF4 and ATF6β act synergistically in the negative regulation of PlGF mRNA expression, resulting in reduced PlGF secretion by the trophoblast in response to stress. Therefore, these results further support the targeting of placental ER stress as a
Use of a 24-kilodalton Trypanosoma cruzi recombinant protein to monitor cure of human Chagas' disease.
Krautz, G M; Galvão, L M; Cançado, J R; Guevara-Espinoza, A; Ouaissi, A; Krettli, A U
A 24-kDa recombinant protein from Trypanosoma cruzi (rTc24) was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (immunoblot) tests to identify treated chagasic patients considered parasitologically cured on the basis of persistently negative tests of hemocultures and lytic antibodies. Some of these patients were termed dissociated because their sera, although negative by the complement-mediated lysis test, were positive by conventional serology. The negative lysis test indicates the absence of active infection after specific treatment, but this assay requires live and infectious parasites and cannot be used easily in a laboratory routine. Here we tested rTc24 by ELISA and Western blotting as an alternative for the complement-mediated lysis test. For the group of patients with active infection despite the treatment (uncured patients), all the sera tested recognized rTc24 in both tests. For the dissociated patients, approximately 80% of the sera did not react with rTc24 in the ELISA or in Western blots, in agreement with the negative complement-mediated lysis tests. Thus, the 24-kDa T. cruzi recombinant antigen, when used for initial trials to evaluate cure of chagasic patients submitted to specific treatment, will allow the identification of most, but not all, cases. PMID:7559953
Human Rights in the Humanities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Harpham, Geoffrey
Human rights are rapidly entering the academic curriculum, with programs appearing all over the country--including at Duke, Harvard, Northeastern, and Stanford Universities; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; the Universities of Chicago, of Connecticut, of California at Berkeley, and of Minnesota; and Trinity College. Most of these…
Lass-Flörl, Cornelia; Mayr, Astrid
Human protothecosis is a rare infection caused by members of the genus Prototheca. Prototheca species are generally considered to be achlorophyllic algae and are ubiquitous in nature. The occurrence of protothecosis can be local or disseminated and acute or chronic, with the latter being more common. Diseases have been classified as (i) cutaneous lesions, (ii) olecranon bursitis, or (iii) disseminated or systemic manifestations. Infections can occur in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed patients, although more severe and disseminated infections tend to occur in immunocompromised individuals. Prototheca wickerhamii and Prototheca zopfii have been associated with human disease. Usually, treatment involves medical and surgical approaches; treatment failure is not uncommon. Antifungals such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and amphotericin B are the most commonly used drugs to date. Among them, amphotericin B displays the best activity against Prototheca spp. Diagnosis is largely made upon detection of characteristic structures observed on histopathologic examination of tissue. PMID:17428884
Carlson, E.A.
This text provides full and balanced coverage of the concepts requisite for a thorough understanding of human genetics. Applications to both the individual and society are integrated throughout the lively and personal narrative, and the essential principles of heredity are clearly presented to prepare students for informed participation in public controversies. High-interest, controversial topics, including recombinant DNA technology, oncogenes, embryo transfer, environmental mutagens and carcinogens, IQ testing, and eugenics encourage understanding of important social issues.
Wood, B
The common ancestor of modern humans and the great apes is estimated to have lived between 5 and 8 Myrs ago, but the earliest evidence in the human, or hominid, fossil record is Ardipithecus ramidus, from a 4.5 Myr Ethiopian site. This genus was succeeded by Australopithecus, within which four species are presently recognised. All combine a relatively primitive postcranial skeleton, a dentition with expanded chewing teeth and a small brain. The most primitive species in our own genus, Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis, are little advanced over the australopithecines and with hindsight their inclusion in Homo may not be appropriate. The first species to share a substantial number of features with later Homo is Homo ergaster, or 'early African Homo erectus', which appears in the fossil record around 2.0 Myr. Outside Africa, fossil hominids appear as Homo erectus-like hominids, in mainland Asia and in Indonesia close to 2 Myr ago; the earliest good evidence of 'archaic Homo' in Europe is dated at between 600-700 Kyr before the present. Anatomically modern human, or Homo sapiens, fossils are seen first in the fossil record in Africa around 150 Kyr ago. Taken together with molecular evidence on the extent of DNA variation, this suggests that the transition from 'archaic' to 'modern' Homo may have taken place in Africa. PMID:8976151
Human Capital, (Human) Capabilities and Higher Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Le Grange, L.
In this article I initiate a debate into the (de)merits of human capital theory and human capability theory and discuss implications of the debate for higher education. Human capital theory holds that economic growth depends on investment in education and that economic growth is the basis for improving the quality of human life. Human capable…
Human Heredity: Genetic Mechanisms in Humans.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Blank, C. E.
Discussed are some of the uncertainties in human genetic mechanisms that are often presented as dogma in Biology textbooks. Presented is a brief historical background and illustrations involving chromosome abnormality in humans and linkage studies in humans. (CW)
Colley, Daniel G; Bustinduy, Amaya L; Secor, W Evan; King, Charles H
Human schistosomiasis—or bilharzia—is a parasitic disease caused by trematode flukes of the genus Schistosoma. By conservative estimates, at least 230 million people worldwide are infected with Schistosoma spp. Adult schistosome worms colonise human blood vessels for years, successfully evading the immune system while excreting hundreds to thousands of eggs daily, which must either leave the body in excreta or become trapped in nearby tissues. Trapped eggs induce a distinct immune-mediated granulomatous response that causes local and systemic pathological effects ranging from anaemia, growth stunting, impaired cognition, and decreased physical fitness, to organ-specific effects such as severe hepatosplenism, periportal fibrosis with portal hypertension, and urogenital inflammation and scarring. At present, preventive public health measures in endemic regions consist of treatment once every 1 or 2 years with the isoquinolinone drug, praziquantel, to suppress morbidity. In some locations, elimination of transmission is now the goal; however, more sensitive diagnostics are needed in both the field and clinics, and integrated environmental and health-care management will be needed to ensure elimination. PMID:24698483
Pintó, Rosa M.; Guix, Susana
SUMMARY Human astroviruses (HAtVs) are positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that were discovered in 1975. Astroviruses infecting other species, particularly mammalian and avian, were identified and classified into the genera Mamastrovirus and Avastrovirus. Through next-generation sequencing, many new astroviruses infecting different species, including humans, have been described, and the Astroviridae family shows a high diversity and zoonotic potential. Three divergent groups of HAstVs are recognized: the classic (MAstV 1), HAstV-MLB (MAstV 6), and HAstV-VA/HMO (MAstV 8 and MAstV 9) groups. Classic HAstVs contain 8 serotypes and account for 2 to 9% of all acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis in children worldwide. Infections are usually self-limiting but can also spread systemically and cause severe infections in immunocompromised patients. The other groups have also been identified in children with gastroenteritis, but extraintestinal pathologies have been suggested for them as well. Classic HAstVs may be grown in cells, allowing the study of their cell cycle, which is similar to that of caliciviruses. The continuous emergence of new astroviruses with a potential zoonotic transmission highlights the need to gain insights on their biology in order to prevent future health threats. This review focuses on the basic virology, pathogenesis, host response, epidemiology, diagnostic assays, and prevention strategies for HAstVs. PMID:25278582
Sternberg, R J; Kaufman, J C
This chapter reviews recent literature, primarily from the 1990s, on human abilities. The review opens with a consideration of the question of what intelligence is, and then considers some of the major definitions of intelligence, as well as implicit theories of intelligence around the world. Next, the chapter considers cognitive approaches to intelligence, and then biological approaches. It proceeds to psychometric or traditional approaches to intelligence, and then to broad, recent approaches. The different approaches raise somewhat different questions, and hence produce somewhat different answers. They have in common, however, the attempt to understand what kinds of mechanisms lead some people to adapt to, select, and shape environments in ways that match particularly well the demands of those environments. PMID:9496630
Antibodies to beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoreceptors in Chagas' disease.
Sterin-Borda, L; Perez Leiros, C; Wald, M; Cremaschi, G; Borda, E
Evidence accumulated over the last decade concerning human and experimental models suggests that an immunopathological mechanism may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic Chagas' disease. In this paper we demonstrate the existence of two different circulating IgG in chagasic patients which bind with myocardial beta 1 and spleen cell beta 2 adrenoceptors, acting as non-competitive inhibitors. Both chagasic IgG against beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptor increased intracellular levels of cAMP that could be blocked by specific beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptor antagonists. The specificity for beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptors and the independence of other tissue reactive antibodies was demonstrated by IgG absorption with turkey red blood cell (TRBC), human lymphocytes (HL) or guinea pig red blood cells (GPRBC). The F(ab')2 fraction acted similarly. This supports the specificity of beta 1 and beta 2 adrenoceptors to the chagasic IgG and the independence of the other tissue reactive antibodies, such as EVI system. The probable pathogenic role of both beta 1 and beta 2 adrenergic chagasic antibody is discussed. PMID:2853016
The Digital Humanities as a Humanities Project
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Svensson, Patrik
This article argues that the digital humanities can be seen as a humanities project in a time of significant change in the academy. The background is a number of scholarly, educational and technical challenges, the multiple epistemic traditions linked to the digital humanities, the potential reach of the field across and outside the humanities,…
NATO Human View Architecture and Human Networks
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Handley, Holly A. H.; Houston, Nancy P.
The NATO Human View is a system architectural viewpoint that focuses on the human as part of a system. Its purpose is to capture the human requirements and to inform on how the human impacts the system design. The viewpoint contains seven static models that include different aspects of the human element, such as roles, tasks, constraints, training and metrics. It also includes a Human Dynamics component to perform simulations of the human system under design. One of the static models, termed Human Networks, focuses on the human-to-human communication patterns that occur as a result of ad hoc or deliberate team formation, especially teams distributed across space and time. Parameters of human teams that effect system performance can be captured in this model. Human centered aspects of networks, such as differences in operational tempo (sense of urgency), priorities (common goal), and team history (knowledge of the other team members), can be incorporated. The information captured in the Human Network static model can then be included in the Human Dynamics component so that the impact of distributed teams is represented in the simulation. As the NATO militaries transform to a more networked force, the Human View architecture is an important tool that can be used to make recommendations on the proper mix of technological innovations and human interactions.
Gangestad, Steven W; Thornhill, Randy
For several decades, scholars of human sexuality have almost uniformly assumed that women evolutionarily lost oestrus—a phase of female sexuality occurring near ovulation and distinct from other phases of the ovarian cycle in terms of female sexual motivations and attractivity. In fact, we argue, this long-standing assumption is wrong. We review evidence that women's fertile-phase sexuality differs in a variety of ways from their sexuality during infertile phases of their cycles. In particular, when fertile in their cycles, women are particularly sexually attracted to a variety of features that likely are (or, ancestrally, were) indicators of genetic quality. As women's fertile-phase sexuality shares with other vertebrate females' fertile-phase sexuality a variety of functional and physiological features, we propose that the term oestrus appropriately applies to this phase in women. We discuss the function of women's non-fertile or extended sexuality and, based on empirical findings, suggest ways that fertile-phase sexuality in women has been shaped to partly function in the context of extra-pair mating. Men are particularly attracted to some features of fertile-phase women, but probably based on by-products of physiological changes males have been selected to detect, not because women signal their cycle-based fertility status. PMID:18252670
Lamson, Daryl M.; St. George, Kirsten; Walsh, Thomas J.
Human rhinoviruses (HRVs), first discovered in the 1950s, are responsible for more than one-half of cold-like illnesses and cost billions of dollars annually in medical visits and missed days of work. Advances in molecular methods have enhanced our understanding of the genomic structure of HRV and have led to the characterization of three genetically distinct HRV groups, designated groups A, B, and C, within the genus Enterovirus and the family Picornaviridae. HRVs are traditionally associated with upper respiratory tract infection, otitis media, and sinusitis. In recent years, the increasing implementation of PCR assays for respiratory virus detection in clinical laboratories has facilitated the recognition of HRV as a lower respiratory tract pathogen, particularly in patients with asthma, infants, elderly patients, and immunocompromised hosts. Cultured isolates of HRV remain important for studies of viral characteristics and disease pathogenesis. Indeed, whether the clinical manifestations of HRV are related directly to viral pathogenicity or secondary to the host immune response is the subject of ongoing research. There are currently no approved antiviral therapies for HRVs, and treatment remains primarily supportive. This review provides a comprehensive, up-to-date assessment of the basic virology, pathogenesis, clinical epidemiology, and laboratory features of and treatment and prevention strategies for HRVs. PMID:23297263
Gross, G
Human papillomaviruses (HPV) infect exclusively the basal cells of the skin and of mucosal epithelia adjacent to the skin such as the mouth, the upper respiratory tract, the lower genital tract and the anal canal. HPV does not lead to a viremia. Basically there are three different types of HPV infection: Clinically visible lesions, subclinical HPV infections and latent HPV infections. Distinct HPV types induce morphologically and prognostically different clinical pictures. The most common HPV associated benign tumor of the skin is the common wart. Infections of the urogenitoanal tract with specific HPV-types are recognised as the most frequent sexually transmitted viral infections. So-called "high-risk" HPV-types (HPV16, 18 and others) are regarded by the world health organisation as important risk-factors for the development of genital cancer (mainly cervical cancer), anal cancer and upper respiratory tract cancer in both genders. Antiviral substances with a specific anti-HPV effect are so far unknown. Conventional therapies of benign skin warts and of mucosal warts are mainly nonspecific. They comprise tissue-destroying therapies such as electrocautery, cryotherapy and laser. In addition cytotoxic substances such as podophyllotoxin and systemic therapy with retinoids are in use. Systemically and topically administered immunotherapies represent a new approach for treatment. Both interferons and particularly the recently developed imiquimod, an interferon-alpha and cytokine-inductor lead to better results and are better tolerated then conventional therapies. HPV-specific vaccines have been developed in the last 5 years and will be used in future for prevention and treatment of benign and malignant HPV-associated tumors of the genitoanal tract in both sexes. PMID:14610898
Human Factors in Human-Systems Integration
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fitts, David J.; Sandor, Aniko; Litaker, Harry L., Jr.; Tillman, Barry
Any large organization whose mission is to design and develop systems for humans, and train humans needs a well-developed integration and process plan to deal with the challenges that arise from managing multiple subsystems. Human capabilities, skills, and needs must be considered early in the design and development process, and must be continuously considered throughout the development lifecycle. This integration of human needs within system design is typically formalized through a Human-Systems Integration (HSI) program. By having an HSI program, an institution or organization can reduce lifecycle costs and increase the efficiency, usability, and quality of its products because human needs have been considered from the beginning.
Crew health and performance is critical to successful human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The Human Research Program (HRP) investigates and mitigates the highest risks to human health and per...
Sandhu, J.S. . Div. of Immunology and Neurobiology)
The limitations of human vaccines in use at present and the design requirements for a new generation of human vaccines are discussed. The progress in engineering of human vaccines for bacteria, viruses, parasites, and cancer is reviewed, and the data from human studies with the engineered vaccines are discussed, especially for cancer and AIDS vaccines. The final section of the review deals with the possible future developments in the field of engineered human vaccines and the requirement for effective new human adjuvants.
Forsythe, J. Chris; Xavier, Patrick G.; Abbott, Robert G.; Brannon, Nathan G.; Bernard, Michael L.; Speed, Ann E.
Digital technology utilizing a cognitive model based on human naturalistic decision-making processes, including pattern recognition and episodic memory, can reduce the dependency of human-machine interactions on the abilities of a human user and can enable a machine to more closely emulate human-like responses. Such a cognitive model can enable digital technology to use cognitive capacities fundamental to human-like communication and cooperation to interact with humans.
Cooperation in human teaching.
Kruger, Ann Cale
Kline's evolutionary analysis of teaching provides welcome reframing for cross-species comparisons. However, theory based on competition cannot explain the transmission of human cultural elements that were collectively created. Humans evolved in a cultural niche and teaching-learning coevolved to transmit culture. To study human cultural variation in teaching, we need a more articulated theory of this distinctively human engagement. PMID:26786392
Visualizing Humans by Computer.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Magnenat-Thalmann, Nadia
Presents an overview of the problems and techniques involved in visualizing humans in a three-dimensional scene. Topics discussed include human shape modeling, including shape creation and deformation; human motion control, including facial animation and interaction with synthetic actors; and human rendering and clothing, including textures and…
Human Research Program Opportunities
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Kundrot, Craig E.
The goal of HRP is to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. The Human Research Program was designed to meet the needs of human space exploration, and understand and reduce the risk to crew health and performance in exploration missions.
Humanism: A Christian Perspective.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaasa, Harris; And Others
As part of a four-college project to integrate the religious tradition with humanities teaching, humanism is discussed from a Christian perspective. Definitions of the terms humanism, religion, Christianity, and Christian humanism are provided. The latter is viewed as the issues surrounding the Christian approach to the dichotomy of good and evil…
The Humanities: Interconnections.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Salomone, Ronald E., Ed.
Focusing on a wide range of interdisciplinary themes and ideas for humanities instruction, the 17 articles in this journal issue discuss the following topics: (1) literature, humanities, and the adult learner; (2) the role of the humanities in educating for a democracy; (3) humanities in the marketplace; (4) literature versus "great books" in high…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Ellenberger, Richard; Duvall, Laura; Dory, Jonathan
The ISS Payload Human Factors Implementation Team (HFIT) is the Payload Developer's resource for Human Factors. HFIT is the interface between Payload Developers and ISS Payload Human Factors requirements in SSP 57000. ? HFIT provides recommendations on how to meet the Human Factors requirements and guidelines early in the design process. HFIT coordinates with the Payload Developer and Astronaut Office to find low cost solutions to Human Factors challenges for hardware operability issues.
Cardiac-Oxidized Antigens Are Targets of Immune Recognition by Antibodies and Potential Molecular Determinants in Chagas Disease Pathogenesis
Dhiman, Monisha; Zago, Maria Paola; Nunez, Sonia; Amoroso, Alejandro; Rementeria, Hugo; Dousset, Pierre; Burgos, Federico Nunez; Garg, Nisha Jain
Trypanosoma cruzi elicits reactive oxygen species (ROS) of inflammatory and mitochondrial origin in infected hosts. In this study, we examined ROS-induced oxidative modifications in the heart and determined whether the resultant oxidized cardiac proteins are targets of immune response and of pathological significance in Chagas disease. Heart biopsies from chagasic mice, rats and human patients exhibited, when compared to those from normal controls, a substantial increase in protein 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl, and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) adducts. To evaluate whether oxidized proteins gain antigenic properties, heart homogenates or isolated cardiomyocytes were oxidized in vitro and one- or two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE)/Western blotting (WB) was performed to investigate the proteomic oxidative changes and recognition of oxidized proteins by sera antibodies in chagasic rodents (mice, rats) and human patients. Human cardiomyocytes exhibited LD50 sensitivity to 30 µM 4-HNE and 100 µM H2O2 at 6 h and 12 h, respectively. In vitro oxidation with 4-HNE or H2O2 resulted in a substantial increase in 4-HNE- and carbonyl-modified proteins that correlated with increased recognition of cardiac (cardiomyocytes) proteins by sera antibodies of chagasic rodents and human patients. 2D-GE/Western blotting followed by MALDI-TOF-MS/MS analysis to identify cardiac proteins that were oxidized and recognized by human chagasic sera yielded 82 unique proteins. We validated the 2D-GE results by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and WB and demonstrated that oxidation of recombinant titin enhanced its immunogenicity and recognition by sera antibodies from chagasic hosts (rats and humans). Treatment of infected rats with phenyl-α-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN, antioxidant) resulted in normalized immune detection of cardiac proteins associated with control of cardiac pathology and preservation of heart contractile function in chagasic rats. We
Expression of uPAR in human trophoblast and its role in trophoblast invasion
Liu, Shuai; Zheng, Qin; Cui, Xin-Yuan; Dai, Kui-Xing; Yang, Xue-Song; Li, Fa-Sheng; Yan, Qiu
Placental trophoblast cells differentiate into invasive trophoblasts or syncytiotrophoblasts. Abnormal trophoblast invasion results in pregnancy-associated disease and abortion. uPAR is a cell membrane-bound glycosylated protein, involved in physiological and pathological processes. However, uPAR expression in villi during threatened abortion and its role in trophoblast differentiation are unclear. We determined that, uPAR expression in the villi was reduced in threatened abortion patients than that in normal pregnancy. uPARsiRNA inhibited the potential for trophoblast migration and invasion in explants culture and HTR8/SVneo cells. It also enhanced forskolin-induced fusion of HTR8/SVneo cells. Overall, this study provides a possible reason for abortion. PMID:26823748
Boundaries of Humanities: Writing Medical Humanities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bolton, Gillie
Literature and medicine is a discipline within medical humanities, which challenges medicine to reconfigure its scientific model to become interdisciplinary, and be disciplined by arts and humanities as well as science. The psychological, emotional, spiritual and physical are inextricably linked in people, inevitably entailing provisionality,…
Ward, RD
This paper describes the development of a comprehensive human modeling environment, the Virtual Human, which will be used initially to model the human respiratory system for purposes of predicting pulmonary disease or injury using lung sounds. The details of the computational environment, including the development of a Virtual Human Thorax, a database for storing models, model parameters, and experimental data, and a Virtual Human web interface are outlined. Preliminary progress in developing this environment will be presented. A separate paper at the conference describes the modeling of sound generation using computational fluid dynamics and the modeling of sound propagation in the human respiratory system.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Ward, Richard C.; Kruse, Kara L.; Allgood, Glenn O.; Hively, Lee M.; Fischer, K. N.; Munro, Nancy B.; Easterly, Clay E.
This paper describes the development of a comprehensive human modeling environment, the Virtual Human, which will be used initially to model the human respiratory system for purposes of predicting pulmonary disease or injury using lung sounds. The details of the computational environment, including the development of a Virtual Human Thorax, a database for storing models, model parameters, and experimental data, and a Virtual Human web interface are outlined. Preliminary progress in developing this environment will be presented. A separate paper at the conference describes the modeling of sound generation using computational fluid dynamics and the modeling of sound propagation in the human respiratory system.
Human bites present a high risk of infection. Besides the bacteria which can cause infection, there is ... the wound extends below the skin. Anytime a human bite has broken the skin, seek medical attention.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Richardson, Miles
Proposes that one of the fundamental human attributes is telling stories. Explores the debate on whether Neanderthals possessed language ability. Discusses the role of the "human story" in teaching anthropology. (DH)
Human Resource Accounting System
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cerullo, Michael J.
Main objectives of human resource accounting systems are to satisfy the informational demands made by investors and by operating managers. The paper's main concern is with the internal uses of a human asset system. (Author)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Anderson, John L.
Viewgraphs are presented on the Pathfinder program. Information is given on human exploration of the solar system, technical requirements interfaces, program objectives, space suits, human performance, man-machine systems, space habitats, life support systems, and artificial gravity
Human Rights Resource Catalogue.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Zambrano, Elias, Comp.
This document provides information about 25 programs/brochures which focus on human rights topics. Specific topics include: (1) counselor preparation; (2) multicultural awareness; (3) abuse and neglect; (4) Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome; (5) self-awareness; (6) human rights awareness and human rights of students; (7) cultural diversity; (8)…
Production Of Human Antibodies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sammons, David W.; Neil, Garry A.
Process for making human monoclonal antibodies based on combination of techniques. Antibodies made active against specific antigen. Process involves in vivo immunization of human B lymphocyte cells in mice. B cells of interest enriched in vitro before fusion. Method potentially applicable to any antigen. Does not rely on use of Epstein-Barr virus at any step. Human lymphocytes taken from any source.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rendel, Margherita
During the last 50 years, principles, institutions, and policies of human rights have been developed worldwide. This book brings together European and international conventions on human rights, the rights of women, and the users and uses of education, and places them in their wider context. It examines issues in how human rights work, the ways in…
Human land uses may have major impacts on ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, habitat, air and water quality. The human use index (also known as U-index) is the percentage of human land use in an area, including agriculture, urban and suburban development, and mining. Low values ...
Human land uses may have major impacts on ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, habitat, air and water quality. The human use index (also known as U-index) is the percentage of human land use in an area, including agriculture, urban and suburban development, and mining. Low values ...
... Mobile Gallery Site Navigation Home The Visible Human Project ® Overview The Visible Human Project ® is an outgrowth of the NLM's 1986 Long- ... The long-term goal of the Visible Human Project ® is to produce a system of knowledge structures ...
Human Rights Educational Resources.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Flowers, Nancy
Gives a variety of educational resources on human rights that include videos, resource notebooks, books, publications, and websites along with short descriptions of the materials. Provides the contact information for a list of human-rights organizations, such as the Center for Human Rights Education and the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Galyean, Beverly-Colleene
The human brain is capable of mastering skills far beyond those it is now used for. Three questions about the further evolution of human intelligence are raised: What will be the next step in human intelligence? How is the next step manifesting itself? How can we prepare for those changes? (IS)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Juffras, Jason; Sawhill, Isabel V.
This paper examines the government's role in financing human capital investments. It first examines why private investments in education, training, and other forms of human capital are likely to fall short of socially desirable levels. It then reviews past trends in public support for human resource investments. Finally, it discusses current…
Human activity/uptake rate data are necessary to estimate potential human exposure and intake dose to environmental pollutants and to refine human exposure models. Personal exposure monitoring studies have demonstrated the critical role that activities play in explaining and pre...
Templeton, Alan R.
It has been argued that human evolution has stopped because humans now adapt to their environment via cultural evolution and not biological evolution. However, all organisms adapt to their environment, and humans are no exception. Culture defines much of the human environment, so cultural evolution has actually led to adaptive evolution in humans. Examples are given to illustrate the rapid pace of adaptive evolution in response to cultural innovations. These adaptive responses have important implications for infectious diseases, Mendelian genetic diseases, and systemic diseases in current human populations. Moreover, evolution proceeds by mechanisms other than natural selection. The recent growth in human population size has greatly increased the reservoir of mutational variants in the human gene pool, thereby enhancing the potential for human evolution. The increase in human population size coupled with our increased capacity to move across the globe has induced a rapid and ongoing evolutionary shift in how genetic variation is distributed within and among local human populations. In particular, genetic differences between human populations are rapidly diminishing and individual heterozygosity is increasing, with beneficial health effects. Finally, even when cultural evolution eliminates selection on a trait, the trait can still evolve due to natural selection on other traits. Our traits are not isolated, independent units, but rather are integrated into a functional whole, so selection on one trait can cause evolution to occur on another trait, sometimes with mildly maladaptive consequences. PMID:23908778
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Read, Charlotte S.
Patterns for humanizing the information sciences include recognizing essential "humanness," taking a holistic approach to the subject field, and being aware of the epistemological nature of how people communicate and relate to others and themselves. The complete inclusion of the human factor in information theory researches can only amplify the…
Esprit: A Humanities Magazine.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Parker, Donald G.; Capella, Barry John
In March 1984, the first issue of "Esprit," a semi-annual humanities magazine for the 56 two-year colleges in New York State, was published. The magazine seeks to confront the apparent decline of student interest in the humanities, community doubts about the relevance of the humanities, and the seeming indifference to the special truths inherent…
Characterization of urokinase receptor expression by human placental trophoblasts.
Zini, J M; Murray, S C; Graham, C H; Lala, P K; Karikó, K; Barnathan, E S; Mazar, A; Henkin, J; Cines, D B; McCrae, K R
The processes of implantation and placentation are both dependent on the invasion and remodeling of the uterine endometrium and vasculature by trophoblasts. Because the secretion and autocrine binding of urokinase (uPA) appears to be a common mechanism used by cells to facilitate plasmin-dependent tissue invasion, we measured the production of uPA and expression of uPA receptors by trophoblasts. Prourokinase bound specifically, reversibly, and with high affinity to cultured trophoblasts, via the uPA epidermal growth factor-like domain. Trophoblasts derived from two first-trimester placentae bound more prourokinase than cells isolated from term placentae. Furthermore, in vitro differentiation of cultured cytotrophoblasts into syncytiotrophoblasts was associated with diminished expression of urokinase receptors and a parallel decrease in the cellular content of uPA receptor mRNA. Trophoblasts also secreted prourokinase and plasminogen activator inhibitors types 1 and 2 (PAI-1 and PAI-2). Although prourokinase was secreted in amounts sufficient to endogenously saturate trophoblast uPA receptors, trophoblasts secreted greater amounts of PAI-1 and PAI-2 than uPA, and no net plasminogen activator activity was detected in trophoblast conditioned medium. In contrast, plasminogen added directly to cultured trophoblasts was readily converted to plasmin. Although the invasion and remodeling of uterine tissues by trophoblasts is a complex process dependent on several proteases of varying specificity, our findings suggest that the expression and modulation of urokinase receptors on the trophoblast cell surface may play an important role in this process. PMID:1316787
The endocrine function of human placenta: an overview.
Costa, Mariana A
During pregnancy, several tightly coordinated and regulated processes take place to enable proper fetal development and gestational success. The formation and development of the placenta is one of these critical pregnancy events. This organ plays essential roles during gestation, including fetal nourishment, support and protection, gas exchange and production of several hormones and other mediators. Placental hormones are mainly secreted by the syncytiotrophoblast, in a highly and tightly regulated way. These hormones are important for pregnancy establishment and maintenance, exerting autocrine and paracrine effects that regulate decidualization, placental development, angiogenesis, endometrial receptivity, embryo implantation, immunotolerance and fetal development. In addition, because they are released into maternal circulation, the profile of their blood levels throughout pregnancy has been the target of intense research towards finding potential robust and reliable biomarkers to predict and diagnose pregnancy-associated complications. In fact, altered levels of these hormones have been associated with some pathologies, such as chromosomal anomalies or pre-eclampsia. This review proposes to revise and update the main pregnancy-related hormones, addressing their major characteristics, molecular targets, function throughout pregnancy, regulators of their expression and their potential clinical interest. PMID:26615903
Humanism in emergency medicine.
Rosenzweig, S
Emergency medicine has not yet appropriated "humanism" as a term of its own. Medical humanism needs to be interpreted in a way that is consistent with the practical goals of emergency medicine. In this essay, humanism in emergency medicine is defined by identifying the dehumanizing aspects of sudden illness and exploring of ways for sustaining the humanity of emergency department patients. Excerpts from Dr Oliver Sacks' autobiographical work A Leg to Stand On give voice to the human needs created by sudden illness and its treatment. PMID:8363690
Human Mitochondrial Protein Database
National Institute of Standards and Technology Data Gateway
SRD 131 Human Mitochondrial Protein Database (Web, free access) The Human Mitochondrial Protein Database (HMPDb) provides comprehensive data on mitochondrial and human nuclear encoded proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and function. This database consolidates information from SwissProt, LocusLink, Protein Data Bank (PDB), GenBank, Genome Database (GDB), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), Human Mitochondrial Genome Database (mtDB), MITOMAP, Neuromuscular Disease Center and Human 2-D PAGE Databases. This database is intended as a tool not only to aid in studying the mitochondrion but in studying the associated diseases.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Mullen, Katharine M.
Human-technology integration is the replacement of human parts and extension of human capabilities with engineered devices and substrates. Its result is hybrid biological-artificial systems. We discuss here four categories of products furthering human-technology integration: wearable computers, pervasive computing environments, engineered tissues and organs, and prosthetics, and introduce examples of currently realized systems in each category. We then note that realization of a completely artificial sytem via the path of human-technology integration presents the prospect of empirical confirmation of an aware artificially embodied system.
Templeton, Alan R.
Races may exist in humans in a cultural sense, but biological concepts of race are needed to access their reality in a non-species-specific manner and to see if cultural categories correspond to biological categories within humans. Modern biological concepts of race can be implemented objectively with molecular genetic data through hypothesis-testing. Genetic data sets are used to see if biological races exist in humans and in our closest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee. Using the two most commonly used biological concepts of race, chimpanzees are indeed subdivided into races but humans are not. Adaptive traits, such as skin color, have frequently been used to define races in humans, but such adaptive traits reflect the underlying environmental factor to which they are adaptive and not overall genetic differentiation, and different adaptive traits define discordant groups. There are no objective criteria for choosing one adaptive trait over another to define race. As a consequence, adaptive traits do not define races in humans. Much of the recent scientific literature on human evolution portrays human populations as separate branches on an evolutionary tree. A tree-like structure among humans has been falsified whenever tested, so this practice is scientifically indefensible. It is also socially irresponsible as these pictorial representations of human evolution have more impact on the general public than nuanced phrases in the text of a scientific paper. Humans have much genetic diversity, but the vast majority of this diversity reflects individual uniqueness and not race. PMID:23684745
Templeton, Alan R
Races may exist in humans in a cultural sense, but biological concepts of race are needed to access their reality in a non-species-specific manner and to see if cultural categories correspond to biological categories within humans. Modern biological concepts of race can be implemented objectively with molecular genetic data through hypothesis-testing. Genetic data sets are used to see if biological races exist in humans and in our closest evolutionary relative, the chimpanzee. Using the two most commonly used biological concepts of race, chimpanzees are indeed subdivided into races but humans are not. Adaptive traits, such as skin color, have frequently been used to define races in humans, but such adaptive traits reflect the underlying environmental factor to which they are adaptive and not overall genetic differentiation, and different adaptive traits define discordant groups. There are no objective criteria for choosing one adaptive trait over another to define race. As a consequence, adaptive traits do not define races in humans. Much of the recent scientific literature on human evolution portrays human populations as separate branches on an evolutionary tree. A tree-like structure among humans has been falsified whenever tested, so this practice is scientifically indefensible. It is also socially irresponsible as these pictorial representations of human evolution have more impact on the general public than nuanced phrases in the text of a scientific paper. Humans have much genetic diversity, but the vast majority of this diversity reflects individual uniqueness and not race. PMID:23684745
Office for Human Research Protections
... Office for Human Research Protections The Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) provides leadership in the protection of the rights, welfare, and wellbeing of human subjects involved in ...
Human research subjects as human research workers.
Lynch, Holly Fernandez
Biomedical research involving human subjects has traditionally been treated as a unique endeavor, presenting special risks and demanding special protections. But in several ways, the regulatory scheme governing human subjects research is counter-intuitively less protective than the labor and employment laws applicable to many workers. This Article relies on analogical and legal reasoning to demonstrate that this should not be the case; in a number of ways, human research subjects ought to be fundamentally recast as human research workers. Like other workers protected under worklaw, biomedical research subjects often have interests that diverge from those in positions of control but little bargaining power for change. Bearing these important similarities in mind, the question becomes whether there is any good reason to treat subjects and protected workers differently as a matter of law. With regard to unrestricted payment, eligibility for a minimum wage, compensation for injury, and rights to engage in concerted activity, the answer is no and human subjects regulations ought to be revised accordingly. PMID:25051653
Integrated Environmental Modelling: human decisions, human challenges
Glynn, Pierre D.
Integrated Environmental Modelling (IEM) is an invaluable tool for understanding the complex, dynamic ecosystems that house our natural resources and control our environments. Human behaviour affects the ways in which the science of IEM is assembled and used for meaningful societal applications. In particular, human biases and heuristics reflect adaptation and experiential learning to issues with frequent, sharply distinguished, feedbacks. Unfortunately, human behaviour is not adapted to the more diffusely experienced problems that IEM typically seeks to address. Twelve biases are identified that affect IEM (and science in general). These biases are supported by personal observations and by the findings of behavioural scientists. A process for critical analysis is proposed that addresses some human challenges of IEM and solicits explicit description of (1) represented processes and information, (2) unrepresented processes and information, and (3) accounting for, and cognizance of, potential human biases. Several other suggestions are also made that generally complement maintaining attitudes of watchful humility, open-mindedness, honesty and transparent accountability. These suggestions include (1) creating a new area of study in the behavioural biogeosciences, (2) using structured processes for engaging the modelling and stakeholder communities in IEM, and (3) using 'red teams' to increase resilience of IEM constructs and use.
Human organ markets and inherent human dignity.
MacKellar, Calum
It has been suggested that human organs should be bought and sold on a regulated market as any other material property belongingto an individual. This would have the advantage of both addressing the grave shortage of organs available for transplantation and respecting the freedom of individuals to choose to do whatever they want with their body parts. The old arguments against such a market in human organs are, therefore, being brought back into question. The article examines the different arguments both in favour and against the sale of human organs. It concludes that the body and any of its elements is a full expression of the whole person. As such, they cannot have a price if the individual is to retain his or her full inherent dignity and if society is to retain and protect this very important concept. PMID:24979876
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Jones, Patricia M.; Fiedler, Edna
Human factors is a critical discipline for human spaceflight. Nearly every human factors research area is relevant to space exploration -- from the ergonomics of hand tools used by astronauts, to the displays and controls of a spacecraft cockpit or mission control workstation, to levels of automation designed into rovers on Mars, to organizational issues of communication between crew and ground. This chapter focuses more on the ways in which the space environment (especially altered gravity and the isolated and confined nature of long-duration spaceflight) affects crew performance, and thus has specific novel implications for human factors research and practice. We focus on four aspects of human performance: neurovestibular integration, motor control and musculo-skeletal effects, cognitive effects, and behavioral health. We also provide a sampler of recent human factors studies from NASA.
Dougherty, E.M.; Fragola, J.R.
The authors present a treatment of human reliability analysis incorporating an introduction to probabilistic risk assessment for nuclear power generating stations. They treat the subject according to the framework established for general systems theory. Draws upon reliability analysis, psychology, human factors engineering, and statistics, integrating elements of these fields within a systems framework. Provides a history of human reliability analysis, and includes examples of the application of the systems approach.
Human target acquisition performance
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Teaney, Brian P.; Du Bosq, Todd W.; Reynolds, Joseph P.; Thompson, Roger; Aghera, Sameer; Moyer, Steven K.; Flug, Eric; Espinola, Richard; Hixson, Jonathan
The battlefield has shifted from armored vehicles to armed insurgents. Target acquisition (identification, recognition, and detection) range performance involving humans as targets is vital for modern warfare. The acquisition and neutralization of armed insurgents while at the same time minimizing fratricide and civilian casualties is a mounting concern. U.S. Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD has conducted many experiments involving human targets for infrared and reflective band sensors. The target sets include human activities, hand-held objects, uniforms & armament, and other tactically relevant targets. This paper will define a set of standard task difficulty values for identification and recognition associated with human target acquisition performance.
Artificial human vision camera
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Goudou, J.-F.; Maggio, S.; Fagno, M.
In this paper we present a real-time vision system modeling the human vision system. Our purpose is to inspire from human vision bio-mechanics to improve robotic capabilities for tasks such as objects detection and tracking. This work describes first the bio-mechanical discrepancies between human vision and classic cameras and the retinal processing stage that takes place in the eye, before the optic nerve. The second part describes our implementation of these principles on a 3-camera optical, mechanical and software model of the human eyes and associated bio-inspired attention model.
Haslam, Nick; Loughnan, Steve; Holland, Elise
This chapter explores the ways in which the concept of "humanness" illuminates a wide and fascinating variety of psychological phenomena. After introducing the concept--everyday understandings of what it is to be human--we present a model of the diverse ways in which humanness can be denied to people. According to this model people may be perceived as lacking uniquely human characteristics, and thus likened to animals, or as lacking human nature, and thus likened to inanimate objects. Both of these forms of dehumanization occur with varying degrees of subtlety, from the explicit uses of derogatory animal metaphors, to stereotypes that ascribe lesser humanness or simpler minds to particular groups, to nonconscious associations between certain humans and nonhumans. After reviewing research on dehumanization through the lens of our model we examine additional topics that the psychology of humanness clarifies, notably the perception of nonhuman animals and the objectification of women. Humanness emerges as a concept that runs an integrating thread through a variety of research literatures. PMID:23947277
Robotics for Human Exploration
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Fong, Terrence; Deans, Mathew; Bualat, Maria
Robots can do a variety of work to increase the productivity of human explorers. Robots can perform tasks that are tedious, highly repetitive or long-duration. Robots can perform precursor tasks, such as reconnaissance, which help prepare for future human activity. Robots can work in support of astronauts, assisting or performing tasks in parallel. Robots can also perform "follow-up" work, completing tasks designated or started by humans. In this paper, we summarize the development and testing of robots designed to improve future human exploration of space.
Health and Humanity: Humanities 401 Syllabus.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Snowden, Fraser; Taylor, Maxine
A syllabus for the "Health and Humanities" interdisciplinary course at Northwestern State University, Louisiana, is presented. An introduction suggests that with the proliferation of technological advances in the field of health care, there is a need for reconsideration of many moral, ethical, legal, and humanistic questions. Information is…
Developing Human Resources through Actualizing Human Potential
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Clarken, Rodney H.
The key to human resource development is in actualizing individual and collective thinking, feeling and choosing potentials related to our minds, hearts and wills respectively. These capacities and faculties must be balanced and regulated according to the standards of truth, love and justice for individual, community and institutional development,…
Human Simulated Diving Experiments.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bruce, David S.; Speck, Dexter F.
This report details several simulated divinq experiments on the human. These are suitable for undergraduate or graduate laboratories in human or environmental physiology. The experiment demonstrates that a diving reflex is precipitated by both facial cooling and apnea. (Author/RE)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mount, Frances; Foley, Tico
Human Factors Engineering, often referred to as Ergonomics, is a science that applies a detailed understanding of human characteristics, capabilities, and limitations to the design, evaluation, and operation of environments, tools, and systems for work and daily living. Human Factors is the investigation, design, and evaluation of equipment, techniques, procedures, facilities, and human interfaces, and encompasses all aspects of human activity from manual labor to mental processing and leisure time enjoyments. In spaceflight applications, human factors engineering seeks to: (1) ensure that a task can be accomplished, (2) maintain productivity during spaceflight, and (3) ensure the habitability of the pressurized living areas. DSO 904 served as a vehicle for the verification and elucidation of human factors principles and tools in the microgravity environment. Over six flights, twelve topics were investigated. This study documented the strengths and limitations of human operators in a complex, multifaceted, and unique environment. By focusing on the man-machine interface in space flight activities, it was determined which designs allow astronauts to be optimally productive during valuable and costly space flights. Among the most promising areas of inquiry were procedures, tools, habitat, environmental conditions, tasking, work load, flexibility, and individual control over work.
Winters, J.M.
Some background is given on the field of human factors. The nature of problems with current human/computer interfaces is discussed, some costs are identified, ideal attributes of graceful system interfaces are outlined, and some reasons are indicated why it's not easy to fix the problems. (LEW)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brody, Howard
How can one measure the value of teaching the humanities? The problem of assessment and accountability is prominent today, of course, in secondary and higher education. It is perhaps even more acute for those who teach the humanities in nontraditional settings, such as medical and other professional schools. The public assumes that academes can…
Environment and the Humanities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Allen, Rodney F., Ed.; And Others
As a conference report, the booklet is primarily devoted to abstracts of papers presented at a Conference on Environment and Humanities held in Tallahassee, Florida, April 25-27, 1976. Dr. Huston Smith of Syracuse University, the main speaker, addressed the issue of "Humanities and Environmental Awareness." Other topics discussed included: (1)…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berman, Howard R.
The international community has developed a system of human rights law relevant to many areas of legal encounter, which American law schools have been slow to incorporate into curricula. Teaching human rights law provides an opportunity for law schools to enrich the learning process and contribute creatively to the respect for rights in society.…
Bosco, Sandra de Moraes Gimenes; Araújo, João Pessoa; Candeias, João Manuel Grisi; Fabiano de Franco, Marcello; Marques, Mariangela Esther Alencar; Mendoza, Leonel; Pires de Camargo, Rosangela; Marques, Silvio Alencar
Pythiosis, caused by Pythium insidiosum, occurs in humans and animals and is acquired from aquatic environments that harbor the emerging pathogen. Diagnosis is difficult because clinical and histopathologic features are not pathognomonic. We report the first human case of pythiosis from Brazil, diagnosed by using culture and rDNA sequencing. PMID:15890126
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Glass, Tom
When students generate mind maps, or concept maps, the maps are usually on paper, computer screens, or a blackboard. Human Mind Maps require few resources and little preparation. The main requirements are space where students can move around and a little creativity and imagination. Mind maps can be used for a variety of purposes, and Human Mind…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Mulenburg, Gerald M. (Inventor); Vernikos, Joan (Inventor)
A human powered centrifuge has independently established turntable angular velocity and human power input. A control system allows excess input power to be stored as electric energy in a battery or dissipated as heat through a resistors. In a mechanical embodiment, the excess power is dissipated in a friction brake.
Human Sociobiology: Wilson's Fallacy.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lehrman, Nathaniel S.
Presents an introduction to and a critique of E.O. Wilson's new science of sociobiology, which focuses on explaining the social behavior of species as diverse as ants, apes, and humans. Suggests that Wilson has gone beyond his data in claiming that complex human behaviors such as altruism are caused to any extent by genetic, as opposed to…
Manage "Human Capital" Strategically
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Odden, Allan
To strategically manage human capital in education means restructuring the entire human resource system so that schools not only recruit and retain smart and capable individuals, but also manage them in ways that support the strategic directions of the organization. These management practices must be aligned with a district's education improvement…
Quantification of human responses
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Steinlage, R. C.; Gantner, T. E.; Lim, P. Y. W.
Human perception is a complex phenomenon which is difficult to quantify with instruments. For this reason, large panels of people are often used to elicit and aggregate subjective judgments. Print quality, taste, smell, sound quality of a stereo system, softness, and grading Olympic divers and skaters are some examples of situations where subjective measurements or judgments are paramount. We usually express what is in our mind through language as a medium but languages are limited in available choices of vocabularies, and as a result, our verbalizations are only approximate expressions of what we really have in mind. For lack of better methods to quantify subjective judgments, it is customary to set up a numerical scale such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 1, 2, 3, ..., 9, 10 for characterizing human responses and subjective judgments with no valid justification except that these scales are easy to understand and convenient to use. But these numerical scales are arbitrary simplifications of the complex human mind; the human mind is not restricted to such simple numerical variations. In fact, human responses and subjective judgments are psychophysical phenomena that are fuzzy entities and therefore difficult to handle by conventional mathematics and probability theory. The fuzzy mathematical approach provides a more realistic insight into understanding and quantifying human responses. This paper presents a method for quantifying human responses and subjective judgments without assuming a pattern of linear or numerical variation for human responses. In particular, quantification and evaluation of linguistic judgments was investigated.
The Human Exposure Research Branch has developed several enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods to support human exposure assessment studies. Immunoassays to detect low levels (<10 ng/mL) of chlorpyrifos in food, track-in dirt and house dust have been applied to sam...
Humane Education Projects Handbook.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Junior League of Ogden, UT.
This handbook was developed to promote interest in humane education and to encourage the adoption of humane education projects. Although specifically designed to assist Junior Leagues in developing such projects, the content should prove valuable to animal welfare organizations, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and other project-oriented groups…
Chapter 4, discusses the various techniques used in the study human cytogenetics. The methods are discussed in historical order, from direct methods to tissue culture techniques, prenatal studies, meiotic studies, sex chromatin techniques, banding techniques, prophase banding and replication studies. Nomenclature of human chromosomes and quantitative methods are also mentioned. 60 refs., 3 figs.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Baggerman, Susan D.
This viewgraph document examines the scope of Human Systems Integration (HSI) at NASA, and the implementation of HSI in the human space flight programs. Two areas of interest are the Responsibilities and the lessons learned from the International Space Station and the strategy and approach for the Crew Exploration Vehicle.
Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis, Japan
Gaowa; Wuritu; Kawamori, Fumihiko; Wu, Dongxing; Yoshikawa, Yuko; Chiya, Seizou; Fukunaga, Kazutoshi; Funato, Toyohiko; Shiojiri, Masaaki; Nakajima, Hideki; Hamauzu, Yoshiji; Takano, Ai; Kawabata, Hiroki; Ando, Shuji; Kishimoto, Toshio
We retrospectively confirmed 2 cases of human Anaplasma phagocytophilum infection. Patient blood samples contained unique p44/msp2 for the pathogen, and antibodies bound to A. phagocytophilum antigens propagated in THP-1 rather than HL60 cells. Unless both cell lines are used for serodiagnosis of rickettsiosis-like infections, cases of human granulocytic anaplasmosis could go undetected. PMID:23460988
Neurobehavioral testing in humans.
Anger, W K; Rohlman, D S; Storzbach, D
The evaluation of the effects of chemical exposures on humans is a worldwide concern, and most chemicals have not been evaluated for neurotoxic effect. Human neurobehavioral research or clinical evaluations of populations exposed to chemicals must be carefully planned and structured. This unit describes the steps required to create such a study, select the appropriate measures, and evaluate the results. PMID:20957644
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Weber, Jennifer E.
The complexity of adult learning connects it to almost all other facets of human endeavor. Consequently, the future of adult education depends, to a large extent on who participates and the quality of such participation. Quality participation, when teamed with environments committed to a concern for humanity, launches opportunities for varied…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Harpham, Geoffrey Galt
Why should society support the humanities when so many people are suffering from the effects of the economic crisis? What claim do the humanities, or scholarship generally, have on increasingly limited resources? Shouldn't such pursuits be considered luxuries at a time when people should be focusing on essentials? The alleviation of human…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Woolford, Barbara; Mount, Frances
The first human space flight, in the early 1960s, was aimed primarily at determining whether humans could indeed survive and function in micro-gravity. Would eating and sleeping be possible? What mental and physical tasks could be performed? Subsequent programs increased the complexity of the tasks the crew performed. Table 1 summarizes the history of U.S. space flight, showing the projects, their dates, crew sizes, and mission durations. With over forty years of experience with human space flight, the emphasis now is on how to design space vehicles, habitats, and missions to produce the greatest returns to human knowledge. What are the roles of the humans in space flight in low earth orbit, on the moon, and in exploring Mars?
Mars Human Exploration Objectives
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Briggs, Geoff
This paper reviews the objectives and other considerations of Human exploration of Mars. The objectives of human exploration of Mars are: (1) to learn how Mars is similar to, and different from, Earth; (2) to explore possible life, past and present; (3) to discover what Mars is like now from the perspective of Geoscience and geologic history; and (4) how did Mars form and how did its formation differ from Earth. Considerations of human Martian exploration involve: (1) having a capable base laboratory; (2) having long range transportation; (3) having operational autonomy of the crew, and the requirement of the crew to possess a range of new cognitive processes along with easy communications with terrestrial colleagues; and finally (4) creating the human habitat along with human factors which involve more than just survivability.
Rybak, S M; Hoogenboom, H R; Meade, H M; Raus, J C; Schwartz, D; Youle, R J
The construction and expression of a chimeric gene encoding a mouse/human antibody to the human transferrin receptor fused to the gene for angiogenin, a human homolog of pancreatic RNase, are described. F(ab')2-like antibody-enzyme fusions were prepared by linking the gene for human angiogenin to a chimeric anti-transferrin receptor heavy chain gene. The antibody-enzyme fusion gene was introduced into a transfectoma that secretes the chimeric light chain of the same antibody, and cell lines were cloned that synthesize and secrete the antibody-enzyme fusion protein of the expected size at a concentration of 1-5 ng/ml. Culture supernatants from clones secreting the fusion protein caused inhibition of growth and protein synthesis of K562 cells that express the human transferrin receptor but not toward a non-human-derived cell line that lacks this receptor. Whereas excess antibody to the same receptor did not itself inhibit protein synthesis, it was able to completely prevent the protein synthesis inhibition caused by the fusion protein. These results indicate that the cytotoxicity is due to a transferrin receptor-mediated mechanism involving the angiogenin portion of the fusion protein and demonstrate the feasibility of constructing recombinant antibody-RNase molecules capable of killing tumor cells bearing the transferrin receptor. The significance of the acquired cytotoxicity of a mouse/human chimeric antibody linked to a human protein may bear importantly in human therapeutic strategies that use mouse antibodies linked to toxins from plants or bacteria to target tumor cells. It is expected that the humanization of immunotoxins will lead to less toxicity and immunogenicity than currently available reagents. PMID:1565609
Novel human astroviruses: Novel human diseases?
Vu, Diem-Lan; Cordey, Samuel; Brito, Francisco; Kaiser, Laurent
Astroviruses are small, non-enveloped, single-stranded positive RNA viruses that belong to the Astroviridae family. While classical human astroviruses (HAstV) are a well-recognized cause of acute non-bacterial diarrhea among young children worldwide, novel astroviruses, named HAstV-MLB and HAstV-VA/HMO, have been identified recently in humans by molecular assays. They are phylogenetically more related to animal astroviruses than to classical human astroviruses, thus suggesting cross-species transmission. Serological studies demonstrated a surprisingly high seroprevalence in certain populations and highlighted a high infection rate in the early years of life. Although their pathogenic role has not yet been clearly determined, novel astrovirus RNA sequences have been identified in different biological specimens of symptomatic patients, including the feces, plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain biopsies. Thus, there is evidence that they could contribute not only to digestive tract infection, but also to unexpected clinical syndromes, notably encephalitis and meningitis. Severe infections affect mainly immunocompromised patients. These findings indicate that novel astroviruses should be considered in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients with meningitis or encephalitis of unknown origin. PMID:27434149
Probst, Alexander J; Auerbach, Anna K; Moissl-Eichinger, Christine
The recent era of exploring the human microbiome has provided valuable information on microbial inhabitants, beneficials and pathogens. Screening efforts based on DNA sequencing identified thousands of bacterial lineages associated with human skin but provided only incomplete and crude information on Archaea. Here, we report for the first time the quantification and visualization of Archaea from human skin. Based on 16 S rRNA gene copies Archaea comprised up to 4.2% of the prokaryotic skin microbiome. Most of the gene signatures analyzed belonged to the Thaumarchaeota, a group of Archaea we also found in hospitals and clean room facilities. The metabolic potential for ammonia oxidation of the skin-associated Archaea was supported by the successful detection of thaumarchaeal amoA genes in human skin samples. However, the activity and possible interaction with human epithelial cells of these associated Archaea remains an open question. Nevertheless, in this study we provide evidence that Archaea are part of the human skin microbiome and discuss their potential for ammonia turnover on human skin. PMID:23776475
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Jeevarajan, Antony
The Mars probe, launched by India a few months ago, is on its way to Mars. At this juncture, it is appropriate to talk about the opportunities presented to us for the Human Exploration of Mars. I am planning to highlight some of the challenges to take humans to Mars, descend, land, stay, ascend and return home safely. The logistics of carrying the necessary accessories to stay at Mars will be delivered in multiple stages using robotic missions. The primary ingredients for human survival is air, water, food and shelter and the necessity to recycle the primary ingredients will be articulated. Humans have to travel beyond the van Allen radiation belt under microgravity condition during this inter-planetary travel for about 6 months minimum one way. The deconditioning of human system under microgravity conditions and protection of humans from Galactic cosmic radiation during the travel should be taken into consideration. The multi-disciplinary effort to keep the humans safe and functional during this journey will be addressed.
Patil, Pradnya D; Panchabhai, Tanmay S; Galwankar, Sagar C
Human bites are frequently overlooked in making a diagnosis in the emergency room. They are particularly notorious due to the polymicrobial nature of human saliva inoculated in the wound and the risk they pose for transmission of infectious diseases. Early treatment, appropriate prophylaxis and surgical evaluation are the key to achieving desired treatment outcomes. Through this article, we have tried to summarize the diagnostic features, complications as well as the recommended treatment alternatives for human bites based on the current available evidence. PMID:20009309
Block, S.; Cornwall, J.; Dally, W.; Dyson, F.; Fortson, N.; Joyce, G.; Kimble, H. J.; Lewis, N.; Max, C.; Prince, T.; Schwitters, R.; Weinberger, P.; Woodin, W. H.
The study reviews Department of Energy supported aspects of the United States Human Genome Project, the joint National Institutes of Health/Department of Energy program to characterize all human genetic material, to discover the set of human genes, and to render them accessible for further biological study. The study concentrates on issues of technology, quality assurance/control, and informatics relevant to current effort on the genome project and needs beyond it. Recommendations are presented on areas of the genome program that are of particular interest to and supported by the Department of Energy.
Human Photoreactivating Enzyme
Sutherland, J. C.; Sutherland, B. M.
The action spectrum for photoreactivation by enzymes from human leukocytes and fibroblasts extends from 300 to approximately 600 nm with a maximum near 400 nm. The ability of the human enzymes to utilize light of wavelengths greater than 500 nm suggested that yellow or gold lights conventionally used as safelights for photoreactivation might serve as sources of photoreactivating light for these enzymes. Experiments using lights with a range of spectral outputs confirm that the standard yellow "safe" lights do produce photoreactivation by the human but not the Escherichia coli enzyme. PMID:19211015
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bhagwani, Akhilesh; Sengar, Chitransh; Talwaniper, Jyotsna; Sharma, Shaan
The paper basically deals with the study of HCI (Human computer interaction) or BCI(Brain-Computer-Interfaces) Technology that can be used for capturing brain signals and translating them into commands that allow humans to control (just by thinking) devices such as computers, robots, rehabilitation technology and virtual reality environments. The HCI is based as a direct communication pathway between the brain and an external device. BCIs are often aimed at assisting, augmenting, or repairing human cognitive or sensory-motor functions.The paper also deals with many advantages of BCI Technology along with some of its applications and some major drawbacks.
Jennings, Rachel E; Berry, Andrew A; Strutt, James P; Gerrard, David T; Hanley, Neil A
A wealth of data and comprehensive reviews exist on pancreas development in mammals, primarily mice, and other vertebrates. By contrast, human pancreatic development has been less comprehensively reviewed. Here, we draw together those studies conducted directly in human embryonic and fetal tissue to provide an overview of what is known about human pancreatic development. We discuss the relevance of this work to manufacturing insulin-secreting β-cells from pluripotent stem cells and to different aspects of diabetes, especially permanent neonatal diabetes, and its underlying causes. PMID:26395141
Bell, G.I.
The Human Genome Project will obtain high-resolution genetic and physical maps of each human chromosome and, somewhat later, of the complete nucleotide sequence of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in a human cell. The talk will begin with an extended introduction to explain the Project to nonbiologists and to show that map construction and sequence determination require extensive computation in order to determine the correct order of the mapped entities and to provide estimates of uncertainty. Computational analysis of the sequence data will become an increasingly important part of the project, and some computational challenges are described. 5 refs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Purcell, Royal
This analysis of the relationship between humanism and humanitarianism outlines educational goals that should lead to a more humane world. Section 1, an outline of human life examines six substructures--human life, individuality, amenity, contact, actualization, and problems. A definition and examples of humanism in section 2 are elaborated into a…
Creativity: The Human Resource.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lewis, Richard W.
The author discusses an exhibition entitled "Creativity--The Human Resource." The exhibition examines the work of 15 Americans, such as designer Buckminster Fuller and artist Judy Chicago, who have contributed in special ways to the arts and sciences. (PHR)
... Control a pest Integrated Pest Management What are pesticides? Herbicides Disinfectants Fungicides Insecticides Natural and Biological Pesticides ... Rodenticides Other types of pesticides Disponible en español Pesticides and Human Health Pesticides have a specific purpose ...
Teaching about Human Geography.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schlene, Vickie J.
Presents a sampling of items from the ERIC database concerning the teaching of human geography. Includes documents dealing with Africa, Asia, the United States, Canada, Antarctica, and geographic concepts. Explains how to obtain ERIC documents. (SG)
Approaches to Human Communication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Budd, Richard W., Ed.; Ruben, Brent D., Ed.
This anthology of essays approaches human communication from the points of view of: anthropology, art biology, economics, encounter groups, semantics, general system theory, history, information theory, international behavior, journalism, linguistics, mass media, neurophysiology, nonverbal behavior, organizational behavior, philosophy, political…
... Health Topics Mammography Women and Diabetes HPV, HIV, Birth Control Heart Health for Women Pregnancy Menopause More Women's Health Topics Resources for You Human Papillomavirus Vaccine HPV Information in Other Languages Women ...
... form Search American Association for the Advancement of Science Statement on Human Cloning Print Email Tweet The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recognizes the intense debates within our society ...
Human Reliability Program Overview
Bodin, Michael
This presentation covers the high points of the Human Reliability Program, including certification/decertification, critical positions, due process, organizational structure, program components, personnel security, an overview of the US DOE reliability program, retirees and academia, and security program integration.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hoult, Thomas Ford
Describes the fundamental conflict between the implications of sociobiology and the aspirations of humanists. Sociobiology tends to rationalize and defend special privileges for the powerful few, while humanism stresses equality of opportunity. Journal availability: see SO 507 272. (Author)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Jordan, Kevin
The following contains the final report on the activities related to the Cooperative Agreement between the human factors research group at NASA Ames Research Center and the Psychology Department at San Jose State University. The participating NASA Ames division has been, as the organization has changed, the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division (ASHFRD and Code FL), the Flight Management and Human Factors Research Division (Code AF), and the Human Factors Research and Technology Division (Code IH). The inclusive dates for the report are November 1, 1984 to January 31, 1999. Throughout the years, approximately 170 persons worked on the cooperative agreements in one capacity or another. The Cooperative Agreement provided for research personnel to collaborate with senior scientists in ongoing NASA ARC research. Finally, many post-MA/MS and post-doctoral personnel contributed to the projects. It is worth noting that 10 former cooperative agreement personnel were hired into civil service positions directly from the agreements.
Humans are using an increasing amount of Earthâs annual production of plants. Research shows that, from 1995 to 2005, consumption rose from 20 to 25 percent of the planet's annual production. Wha...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hoffman, W. H.; Wyatt, L. L.
By using the total resource approach, we have focused attention on the need to integrate human resource planning with other business plans and highlighted the importance of a productivity strategy. (Author)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tickell, Crispin
Examines the plight of environmental refugees and the adequacy of political responses to the situation. Discusses the consequences of accelerated environmental change, particularly the impact of global warming on human migration. (LZ)
Human Systems Integration Introduction
This lecture provides an overview of Human Systems Integration (HSI), its implementation cost and return on investment, HSI domains, how HSI fits into the NASA organization structure, HSI roles and...
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Langley's human computers at work in 1947. The female presence at Langley, who performed mathematical computations for male staff. Photograph published in Winds of Change, 75th Anniversary NASA publication (page 48), by James Schultz.
Habitability and Human Factors Contributions to Human Space Flight
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sumaya, Jennifer Boyer
This slide presentation reviews the work of the Habitability and Human Factors Branch in support of human space flight in two main areas: Applied support to major space programs, and Space research. The field of Human Factors applies knowledge of human characteristics for the design of safer, more effective, and more efficient systems. This work is in several areas of the human space program: (1) Human-System Integration (HSI), (2) Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, (3) Extravehicular Activity (EVA), (4) Lunar Surface Systems, (5) International Space Station (ISS), and (6) Human Research Program (HRP). After detailing the work done in these areas, the facilities that are available for human factors work are shown.
Human Assisted Assembly Processes
Automatic assembly sequencing and visualization tools are valuable in determining the best assembly sequences, but without Human Factors and Figure Models (HFFMs) it is difficult to evaluate or visualize human interaction. In industry, accelerating technological advances and shorter market windows have forced companies to turn to an agile manufacturing paradigm. This trend has promoted computerized automation of product design and manufacturing processes, such as automated assembly planning. However, all automated assembly planning software tools assume that the individual components fly into their assembled configuration and generate what appear to be a perfectly valid operations, but in reality the operations cannot physically be carried out by a human. Similarly, human figure modeling algorithms may indicate that assembly operations are not feasible and consequently force design modifications; however, if they had the capability to quickly generate alternative assembly sequences, they might have identified a feasible solution. To solve this problem HFFMs must be integrated with automated assembly planning to allow engineers to verify that assembly operations are possible and to see ways to make the designs even better. Factories will very likely put humans and robots together in cooperative environments to meet the demands for customized products, for purposes including robotic and automated assembly. For robots to work harmoniously within an integrated environment with humans the robots must have cooperative operational skills. For example, in a human only environment, humans may tolerate collisions with one another if they did not cause much pain. This level of tolerance may or may not apply to robot-human environments. Humans expect that robots will be able to operate and navigate in their environments without collisions or interference. The ability to accomplish this is linked to the sensing capabilities available. Current work in the field of cooperative
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Zubrin, Robert
With human colonization of Mars, I think you will see a higher standard of civilization, just as America set a higher standard of civilization which then promulgated back into Europe. I think that if you want to maximize human potential, you need a higher standard of civilization, and that becomes an example that benefits everyone. Without an open frontier, closed world ideologies, such as the Malthus Theory, tend to come to the forefront. It is that there are limited resources; therefore, we are all in deadly competition with each other for the limited pot. The result is tyrannical and potentially genocidal regimes, and we've already seen this in the twentieth century. There s no truth in the Malthus Theory, because human beings are the creators of their resources. With every mouth comes a pair of hands and a brain. But if it seems to be true, you have a vector in this direction, and it is extremely unfortunate. It is only in a universe of infinite resources that all humans can be brothers and sisters. The fundamental question which affects humanity s sense of itself is whether the world is changeable or fixed. Are we the makers of our world or just its inhabitants? Some people have a view that they re living at the end of history within a world that s already defined, and there is no fundamental purpose to human life because there is nothing humans can do that matters. On the other hand, if humans understand their own role as the creators of their world, that s a much more healthy point of view. It raises the dignity of humans. Indeed, if we do establish a new branch of human civilization on Mars that grows in time and potency to the point where it cannot really settle Mars, but transforms Mars, and brings life to Mars, we will prove to everyone and for all time the precious and positive nature of the human species and every member of it.
Human exploration mission studies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cataldo, Robert L.
This paper describes several case studies of human space exploration, considered by the NASA's Office of Exploration in 1988. Special attention is given to the mission scenarios, the critical technology required in these expeditions, and the extraterrestrial power requirements of significant system elements. The cases examined include a manned expedition to Phobos, the inner Martian moon; a human expedition to Mars; the Lunar Observatory; and a lunar outpost to early Mars evolution.
Luderer, A.A.; Weetall, H.H
This book contains eight selections. The titles are: Cytogenetics of the Leukemias and Lymphomas; Cytogenetics of Solid Tumors: Renal Cell Carcinoma, Malignant Melanoma, Retinoblastoma, and Wilms' Tumor; Elucidation of a Normal Function for a Human Proto-Oncogene; Detection of HSV-2 Genes and Gene Products in Cervical Neoplasia; Papillomaviruses in Anogennital Neoplasms; Human Epstein-Barr Virus and Cancer; Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatocellular Carcinoma; and Kaposi's Sarcoma: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and Associated Viruses.
White, R J; Averner, M
Many successful space missions over the past 40 years have highlighted the advantages and necessity of humans in the exploration of space. But as space travel becomes ever more feasible in the twenty-first century, the health and safety of future space explorers will be paramount. In particular, understanding the risks posed by exposure to radiation and extended weightlessness will be crucial if humans are to travel far from Earth. PMID:11234026
Annas, G.C.; Elias, S.
This article is a review of the book Mapping the Human Genome: Using Law and Ethics as Guides, edited by George C. Annas and Sherman Elias. The book is a collection of essays on the subject of using ethics and laws as guides to justify human gene mapping. It addresses specific issues such problems related to eugenics, patents, insurance as well as broad issues such as the societal definitions of normality.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nicogossian, Arnauld E.
The degree of autonomy of future long duration manned missions will emphasize interactions between human operators and automated systems aimed at the most effective allocations of tasks between humans and machines. Knowledge of crewmembers' physical status, encompassing both capabilities and limitations, will also be critical during EVA and planetary roving missions; psychological evaluation and support, with a view to both individual health and group cohesion and productivity, may become a critical consideration. Attention is here given to crewmembers' medical and psychological vulnerabilities.
Kels, Barry D; Grzybowski, Andrzej; Grant-Kels, Jane M
We review the normal anatomy of the human globe, eyelids, and lacrimal system. This contribution explores both the form and function of numerous anatomic features of the human ocular system, which are vital to a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology of many oculocutaneous diseases. The review concludes with a reference glossary of selective ophthalmologic terms that are relevant to a thorough understanding of many oculocutaneous disease processes. PMID:25704934
Evolution and human sexuality.
Gray, Peter B
The aim of this review is to put core features of human sexuality in an evolutionary light. Toward that end, I address five topics concerning the evolution of human sexuality. First, I address theoretical foundations, including recent critiques and developments. While much traces back to Darwin and his view of sexual selection, more recent work helps refine the theoretical bases to sex differences and life history allocations to mating effort. Second, I consider central models attempting to specify the phylogenetic details regarding how hominin sexuality might have changed, with most of those models honing in on transitions from a possible chimpanzee-like ancestor to the slightly polygynous and long-term bonded sociosexual partnerships observed among most recently studied hunter-gatherers. Third, I address recent genetic and physiological data contributing to a refined understanding of human sexuality. As examples, the availability of rapidly increasing genomic information aids comparative approaches to discern signals of selection in sexuality-related phenotypes, and neuroendocrine studies of human responses to sexual stimuli provide insight into homologous and derived mechanisms. Fourth, I consider some of the most recent, large, and rigorous studies of human sexuality. These provide insights into sexual behavior across other national samples and on the Internet. Fifth, I discuss the relevance of a life course perspective to understanding the evolution of human sexuality. Most research on the evolution of human sexuality focuses on young adults. Yet humans are sexual beings from gestation to death, albeit in different ways across the life course, and in ways that can be theoretically couched within life history theory. PMID:24151100
Human immunoglobulin allotypes
Lefranc, Marie-Paule
More than twenty recombinant monoclonal antibodies are approved as therapeutics. Almost all of these are based on the whole IgG isotype format, but vary in the origin of the variable regions between mouse (chimeric), humanized mouse and fully human sequences; all of those with whole IgG format employ human constant region sequences. Currently, the opposing merits of the four IgG subclasses are considered with respect to the in vivo biological activities considered to be appropriate to the disease indication being treated. Human heavy chain genes also exhibit extensive structural polymorphism(s) and, being closely linked, are inherited as a haplotype. Polymorphisms (allotypes) within the IgG isotype were originally discovered and described using serological reagents derived from humans; demonstrating that allotypic variants can be immunogenic and provoke antibody responses as a result of allo-immunization. The serologically defined allotypes differ widely within and between population groups; therefore, a mAb of a given allotype will, inevitably, be delivered to a cohort of patients homozygous for the alternative allotype. This publication reviews the serologically defined human IgG allotypes and considers the potential for allotype differences to contribute to or potentiate immunogenicity. PMID:20073133
Moyzis, R.K.
An ultimate goal of human genetics is the generation of a complete physical and ''functional'' map of the human genome. Twenty-five percent of human DNA, however, consists of repetitive DNA sequences. These repetitive DNA sequences are thought to arise by many mechanisms, from direct sequence amplification by the unequal recombination of homologous DNA regions to the reverse flow of genetic information. A general outline of the chromosomal organization of these repetitive sequences will be discussed. Our working hypothesis is that certain classes of human repetitive DNA sequences ''encode'' the information necessary for defining long-range genomic structure. Evidence will be presented that the first goal of this research, the identification and cloning of the human telomere, has been achieved. A human repetitive DNA library was constructed from randomly sheared, reassociated, and oligo(G/center dot/C)-tailed DNA, a method that minimizes the potential loss of sequences devoid of a given restriction enzyme site. Sequences too large to clone efficiently in cosmid or /lambda/ vectors, such as centromeric repeats, or telomeric sequences with an end incompatible for cloning, should be present in this library. In order to isolate highly conserved repetitive DNA sequences, this library was screened with radiolabeled hamster Cot50 repetitive DNA. Two clones, containing tandem arrays of the sequence (TTAGGG), were isolated by this method. 30 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.
Paramore, B.; Peterson, L.R.
''Human Factors'' is concerned with the incorporation of human user considerations into a system in order to maximize human reliability and reduce errors. This Review Plan is intended to assist in the assessment of human factors conditions in existing DOE facilities. In addition to specifying assessment methodologies, the plan describes techniques for improving conditions which are found to not adequately support reliable human performance. The following topics are addressed: (1) selection of areas for review describes techniques for needs assessment to assist in selecting and prioritizing areas for review; (2) human factors engineering review is concerned with optimizing the interfaces between people and equipment and people and their work environment; (3) procedures review evaluates completeness and accuracy of procedures, as well as their usability and management; (4) organizational interface review is concerned with communication and coordination between all levels of an organization; and (5) training review evaluates training program criteria such as those involving: trainee selection, qualification of training staff, content and conduct of training, requalification training, and program management.
Bites - human - self-care ... Human bites can occur in two ways: If someone bites you If your hand comes into contact ... bite to express anger or other negative feelings. Human bites may be more dangerous than animal bites. ...
Immunohistochemical detection of deposits of eosinophil-derived neurotoxin and eosinophil peroxidase in the myocardium of patients with Chagas' disease.
Molina, H A; Kierszenbaum, F
An immunohistochemical study of eosinophil distribution in the inflammatory cell infiltrates of four different types of myocardial lesions associated with Chagas' disease--caused by Trypanosoma cruzi--showed larger numbers of these cells in areas presenting tissue necrosis and degeneration, most notably in patients with the most severe myocarditis from a histopathological stand-point. Using antisera specific for human eosinophil-derived neurotoxin or eosinophil peroxidase, we detected deposits of these secretion products on myofibres and in the interstitium of chagasic myocardium displaying necrosis and degeneration but rarely in other types of lesions. These deposits were not detectable in the myocardium of non-chagasic patients who had died from myocardial infarction (acute or in the scarring stage) or myocarditis secondary to bacterial endocarditis. When human eosinophil-derived neurotoxin was incubated with myoblast monolayers there was a significant cell injury, detachment and lysis. These effects were abrogated by yeast RNA, added as a competitive ribonuclease substrate, and inhibited by the ribonuclease inhibitor RNasin, suggesting that the ribonuclease activity of the eosinophil-derived neurotoxin was involved in the effect. These results suggest a link between eosinophil infiltration and necrosis in chagasic myocardial lesions and point to EDN, and perhaps other toxic eosinophil secretion products, as possible mediators of tissue damage. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 PMID:3049321
Human behavior and human performance: Psychomotor demands
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
The results of several experiments are presented in abstract form. These studies are critical for the interpretation and acceptance of flight based science to be conducted by the Behavior and Performance project. Some representative titles are as follow: External audio for IBM/PC compatible computers; A comparative assessment of psychomotor performance (target prediction by humans and macaques); Response path (a dependent measure for computer maze solving and other tasks); Behavioral asymmetries of psychomotor performance in Rhesus monkey (a dissociation between hand preference and skill); Testing primates with joystick based automated apparatus; and Environmental enrichment and performance assessment for ground or flight based research with primates;
Developing Human Performance Measures
Jeffrey Joe; Bruce Hallbert; Larry Blackwood; Donald Dudehoeffer; Kent Hansen
Through the reactor oversight process (ROP), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) monitors the performance of utilities licensed to operate nuclear power plants. The process is designed to assure public health and safety by providing reasonable assurance that licensees are meeting the cornerstones of safety and designated crosscutting elements. The reactor inspection program, together with performance indicators (PIs), and enforcement activities form the basis for the NRC's risk-informed, performance based regulatory framework. While human performance is a key component in the safe operation of nuclear power plants and is a designated cross-cutting element of the ROP, there is currently no direct inspection or performance indicator for assessing human performance. Rather, when human performance is identified as a substantive cross cutting element in any 1 of 3 categories (resources, organizational or personnel), it is then evaluated for common themes to determine if follow-up actions are warranted. However, variability in human performance occurs from day to day, across activities that vary in complexity, and workgroups, contributing to the uncertainty in the outcomes of performance. While some variability in human performance may be random, much of the variability may be attributed to factors that are not currently assessed. There is a need to identify and assess aspects of human performance that relate to plant safety and to develop measures that can be used to successfully assure licensee performance and indicate when additional investigation may be required. This paper presents research that establishes a technical basis for developing human performance measures. In particular, we discuss: 1) how historical data already gives some indication of connection between human performance and overall plant performance, 2) how industry led efforts to measure and model human performance and organizational factors could serve as a data source and basis for a
Cross-Talk between cAMP and MAPK Pathways in HSD11B2 Induction by hCG in Placental Trophoblasts
Shu, Qun; Li, Wenjiao; Li, Jianneng; Wang, Wangsheng; Liu, Chao; Sun, Kang
Overexposure of the fetus to glucocorticoids in gestation is detrimental to fetal development. The passage of maternal glucocorticoids into the fetal circulation is governed by 11beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 (HSD11B2) in the placental syncytiotrophoblasts. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) plays an important role in maintaining placental HSD11B2 expression via activation of the cAMP pathway. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the activation of the cAMP pathway by hCG and subsequent phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 (ERK1/2) or p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways in the regulation of placental HSD11B2 expression in human placental syncytiotrophoblasts. We found that treatment of the placental syncytiotrophoblasts with either hCG or dibutyl cAMP (dbcAMP) could promote the phosphorylation of p38 and ERK1/2. Inhibition of p38 MAPK with SB203580 not only reduced the basal HSD11B2 mRNA and protein levels but also attenuated HSD11B2 levels induced by either hCG or dbcAMP. By contrast, inhibition of ERK1/2 with PD98059 increased the basal mRNA and protein levels of HSD11B2 and had no effect on HSD11B2 mRNA and protein levels induced by either hCG or dbcAMP. These data suggest that p38 MAPK is involved in both basal and hCG/cAMP-induced expression of HSD11B2, and ERK1/2 may play a role opposite to p38 MAPK at least in the basal expression of HSD11B2 in human placental syncytiotrophoblasts and that there is complicated cross-talk between hCG/cAMP and MAPK cascades in the regulation of placental HSD11B2 expression. PMID:25229504
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Nicogossian, Arnauld E.
Manned space flight can be viewed as an interaction of three general elements: the human crewmember, spacecraft systems, and the environment. While the human crewmember is a crucial element in the system, certain physiological, psychological, environ- mental and spacecraft systems factors can compromise human performance in space. These factors include atmospheric pressure, physiology, uncertainties associated with space radiation, the potential for exposure to toxic materials in the closed environment, and spacecraft habitability. Health protection in space, for current and future missions, relies on a philosophy of risk reduction, which in the space program is achieved in four ways-through health maintenance, health care, design criteria, an selection and training. Emphasis is place upon prevention, through selection criteria and careful screening. Spacecraft health care systems must be absolutely reliable, and they will be automated and computerized to the maximum extent possible, but still designed with the human crewmember's capabilities in mind. The autonomy and technological sophistication of future missions will require a greater emphasis on high-level interaction between the human operator and automated systems, with effective allocation of tasks between humans and machines. Performance in space will include complex tasks during extravehicular activity (EVA) and on planetary surfaces, and knowledge of crewmembers' capability and limitations during such operations will be critical to mission success. Psychological support will become increasingly important on space missions, as crews spend long periods in remote and potentially hazardous environments. The success of future missions will depend on both individual psychological health and group cohesion and productivity, particularly as crew profiles become more heterogeneous. Thus, further human factors are needed in the area of small-group dynamics and performance.
Spaceflight Human System Standards
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Holubec, Keith; Tillman, Barry; Connolly, Jan
NASA created a new approach for human system integration and human performance standards. NASA created two documents a standard and a reference handbook. The standard is titled NASA Space Flight Human-System Standard (SFHSS) and consists of two-volumes: Volume 1- Crew Health This volume covers standards needed to support astronaut health (medical care, nutrition, sleep, exercise, etc.) Volume 2 Human Factors, Habitability and Environmental Health This volume covers the standards for system design that will maintain astronaut performance (ie., environmental factors, design of facilities, layout of workstations, and lighting requirements). It includes classic human factors requirements. The new standards document is written in terms so that it is applicable to a broad range of present and future NASA systems. The document states that all new programs prepare system-specific requirements that will meet the general standards. For example, the new standard does not specify a design should accommodate specific percentiles of a defined population. Rather, NASA-STD-3001, Volume 2 states that all programs shall prepare program-specific requirements that define the user population and their size ranges. The design shall then accommodate the full size range of those users. The companion reference handbook, Human Integration Design Handbook (HIDH), was developed to capture the design consideration information from NASA-STD-3000, and adds spaceflight lessons learned, gaps in knowledge, example solutions, and suggests research to further mature specific disciplines. The HIDH serves two major purposes: HIDH is the reference document for writing human factors requirements for specific systems. HIDH contains design guidance information that helps insure that designers create systems which safely and effectively accommodate the capabilities and limitations of space flight crews.
Simmer, Karen
Human milk is the feed of choice for preterm infants. However, human milk does not provide enough nutrition, especially protein, for preterm infants to achieve target growth rates similar to those in utero (15-20 g/kg per day). Fortifiers for human milk, manufactured from bovine milk, are commercially available and routinely used for patients born <32 weeks' gestation prior to discharge home. Recent recommended dietary intakes (RDI) have been revised. Up to 4.2 g of protein and 135 kcal/kg per day is recommended for infants born very preterm. Additional supplements are needed to current commercial fortifiers to achieve these RDI and reduce the incidence of ex-uterine growth failure. A human milk fortifier that is manufactured from donor human milk is available in some developed countries and may confer some clinical benefits, including a reduction in necrotizing enterocolitis. Fortification can be added in a standardized protocol as per manufacturers' instructions. Human milk composition can be analyzed and fortification individualized to take into account the large variation from mother to mother. Alternatively, fortification can be increased in a stepwise manner based on assumed composition while monitoring blood urea levels for safety. The current aim is to prevent preterm infants dropping percentiles and falling below the 10th percentile at 36 weeks' corrected gestational age or discharge home. More data are required on how best to fortify human milk for preterm infants to achieve optimal growth, development and health outcomes in the long term. There is an urgent need for well-designed and informed randomized clinical trials in this vulnerable preterm population. PMID:26111568
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Graells, Robert Casals i.; Sibilla, Anna; Bohle, Martin
Anthropogenic global change is a composite process. It consists of societal processes (in the 'noosphere') and natural processes (in the 'bio-geosphere'). The 'noosphere' is the ensemble of social, cultural or political insights ('shared subjective mental concepts') of people. Understanding the composite of societal and natural processes ('human geo-biosphere intersections'), which shapes the features of anthropogenic global change, would benefit from a description that draws equally on natural sciences, social sciences and humanities. To that end it is suggested to develop a concept of 'geo-humanities': This essay presents some aspects of its scope, discussing "knowledge that is to manage", "intentions that are to shape", "choices that are to justify" and "complexity that is to handle". Managing knowledge: That people understand anthropogenic global change requires their insights into how 'human geosphere intersections' function. Insights are formed ('processed') in the noosphere by means of interactions between people. Understanding how 'human geosphere intersections' functions combines scientific, engineering and economic studies with studies of the dynamics of the noosphere. Shaping intentions: During the last century anthropogenic global change developed as the collateral outcome of humankind's accumulated actions. It is caused by the number of people, the patterns of their consumption of resources, and the alterations of their environments. Nowadays, anthropogenic global chance is either an intentional negligence or a conscious act. Justifying choices: Humanity has alternatives how to alter Earth at planetary scale consciously. For example, there is a choice to alter the geo-biosphere or to adjust the noosphere. Whatever the choice, it will depend on people's world-views, cultures and preferences. Thus beyond issues whether science and technology are 'sound' overarching societal issues are to tackle, such as: (i) how to appropriate and distribute natural
Disotell, Todd R
For much of the 20th century, the predominant view of human evolutionary history was derived from the fossil record. Homo erectus was seen arising in Africa from an earlier member of the genus and then spreading throughout the Old World and into the Oceania. A regional continuity model of anagenetic change from H. erectus via various intermediate archaic species into the modern humans in each of the regions inhabited by H. erectus was labeled the multiregional model of human evolution (MRE). A contrasting model positing a single origin, in Africa, of anatomically modern H. sapiens with some populations later migrating out of Africa and replacing the local archaic populations throughout the world with complete replacement became known as the recent African origin (RAO) model. Proponents of both models used different interpretations of the fossil record to bolster their views for decades. In the 1980s, molecular genetic techniques began providing evidence from modern human variation that allowed not only the different models of modern human origins to be tested but also the exploration demographic history and the types of selection that different regions of the genome and even specific traits had undergone. The majority of researchers interpreted these data as strongly supporting the RAO model, especially analyses of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Extrapolating backward from modern patterns of variation and using various calibration points and substitution rates, a consensus arose that saw modern humans evolving from an African population around 200,000 years ago. Much later, around 50,000 years ago, a subset of this population migrated out of Africa replacing Neanderthals in Europe and western Asia as well as archaics in eastern Asia and Oceania. mtDNA sequences from more than two-dozen Neanderthals and early modern humans re-enforced this consensus. In 2010, however, the complete draft genomes of Neanderthals and of heretofore unknown hominins from Siberia, called
Infants' Responses to Real Humans and Representations of Humans
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Heron, Michelle; Slaughter, Virginia
Infants' responses to typical and scrambled human body shapes were assessed in relation to the realism of the human body stimuli presented. In four separate experiments, infants were familiarized to typical human bodies and then shown a series of scrambled human bodies on the test. Looking behaviour was assessed in response to a range of different…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Brown, David A.
In the area of security and surveillance technologies, the problem of the arrival in Canada of illegal and undesirable ship and truck cargo loads is steadily increasing. As the volumes of cargo arrivals increase so do the Immigration and Customs problems related to the determination of the validity of those cargo contents. Of special concern to Immigration Control Authorities around the world is the emerging and increasing trend of illegal smuggling of human beings hidden inside of shipping containers. Beginning in 1992, Immigration Control Authorities in Canada observed an escalation of alien people smuggling through the use of cargo shipping containers arriving in the Port of Montreal. This paper will present to the audience the recently completed Immigration Canada Human Occupancy Detection project by explaining the design, development and testing of human occupancy detectors. The devices are designed to electronically detect the presence of persons hiding inside of shipping containers, without the requirement of opening the container doors. The human occupancy detection concepts are based upon the presence of carbon dioxide or other human waste characteristics commonly found inside of shipping containers.
Nielsen, Jens Bo
Human studies in the past three decades have provided us with an emerging understanding of how cortical and spinal networks collaborate to ensure the vast repertoire of human behaviors. Humans have direct cortical connections to spinal motoneurons, which bypass spinal interneurons and exert a direct (willful) muscle control with the aid of a context-dependent integration of somatosensory and visual information at cortical level. However, spinal networks also play an important role. Sensory feedback through spinal circuitries is integrated with central motor commands and contributes importantly to the muscle activity underlying voluntary movements. Regulation of spinal interneurons is used to switch between motor states such as locomotion (reciprocal innervation) and stance (coactivation pattern). Cortical regulation of presynaptic inhibition of sensory afferents may focus the central motor command by opening or closing sensory feedback pathways. In the future, human studies of spinal motor control, in close collaboration with animal studies on the molecular biology of the spinal cord, will continue to document the neural basis for human behavior. PMID:27023730
Human and murine erythropoiesis
An, Xiuli; Schulz, Vincent P.; Mohandas, Narla; Gallagher, Patrick G.
Purpose of review Research into the fundamental mechanisms of erythropoiesis has provided critical insights into inherited and acquired disorders of the erythrocyte. Studies of human erythropoiesis have primarily utilized in-vitro systems, whereas murine models have provided insights from in-vivo studies. This report reviews recent insights into human and murine erythropoiesis gained from transcriptome-based analyses. Recent findings The availability of high-throughput genomic methodologies has allowed attainment of detailed gene expression data from cells at varying developmental and differentiation stages of erythropoiesis. Transcriptome analyses of human and murine reveal both stage and species-specific similarities and differences across terminal erythroid differentiation. Erythroid-specific long noncoding RNAs exhibit poor sequence conservation between human and mouse. Genome-wide analyses of alternative splicing reveal that complex, dynamic, stage-specific programs of alternative splicing program are utilized during terminal erythroid differentiation. Transcriptome data provide a significant resource for understanding mechanisms of normal and perturbed erythropoiesis. Understanding these processes will provide innovative strategies to detect, diagnose, prevent, and treat hematologic disease. Summary Understanding the shared and different mechanisms controlling human and murine erythropoiesis will allow investigators to leverage the best model system to provide insights in normal and perturbed erythropoiesis. PMID:25719574
Psychogios, Nikolaos; Hau, David D.; Peng, Jun; Guo, An Chi; Mandal, Rupasri; Bouatra, Souhaila; Sinelnikov, Igor; Krishnamurthy, Ramanarayan; Eisner, Roman; Gautam, Bijaya; Young, Nelson; Xia, Jianguo; Knox, Craig; Dong, Edison; Huang, Paul; Hollander, Zsuzsanna; Pedersen, Theresa L.; Smith, Steven R.; Bamforth, Fiona; Greiner, Russ; McManus, Bruce; Newman, John W.; Goodfriend, Theodore; Wishart, David S.
Continuing improvements in analytical technology along with an increased interest in performing comprehensive, quantitative metabolic profiling, is leading to increased interest pressures within the metabolomics community to develop centralized metabolite reference resources for certain clinically important biofluids, such as cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood. As part of an ongoing effort to systematically characterize the human metabolome through the Human Metabolome Project, we have undertaken the task of characterizing the human serum metabolome. In doing so, we have combined targeted and non-targeted NMR, GC-MS and LC-MS methods with computer-aided literature mining to identify and quantify a comprehensive, if not absolutely complete, set of metabolites commonly detected and quantified (with today's technology) in the human serum metabolome. Our use of multiple metabolomics platforms and technologies allowed us to substantially enhance the level of metabolome coverage while critically assessing the relative strengths and weaknesses of these platforms or technologies. Tables containing the complete set of 4229 confirmed and highly probable human serum compounds, their concentrations, related literature references and links to their known disease associations are freely available at http://www.serummetabolome.ca. PMID:21359215
Braun, D K; Dominguez, G; Pellett, P E
Human herpesvirus 6 variant A (HHV-6A) and human herpesvirus 6 variant B (HHV-6B) are two closely related yet distinct viruses. These visuses belong to the Roseolovirus genus of the betaherpesvirus subfamily; they are most closely related to human herpesvirus 7 and then to human cytomegalovirus. Over 95% of people older than 2 years of age are seropositive for either or both HHV-6 variants, and current serologic methods are incapable of discriminating infection with one variant from infection with the other. HHV-6A has not been etiologically linked to any human disease, but such an association will probably be found soon. HHV-6B is the etiologic agent of the common childhood illness exanthem subitum (roseola infantum or sixth disease) and related febrile illnesses. These viruses are frequently active and associated with illness in immunocompromised patients and may play a role in the etiology of Hodgkin's disease and other malignancies. HHV-6 is a commensal inhabitant of brains; various neurologic manifestations, including convulsions and encephalitis, can occur during primary HHV-6 infection or in immunocompromised patients. HHV-6 and distribution in the central nervous system are altered in patients with multiple sclerosis; the significance of this is under investigation. PMID:9227865
Zergollern, L
Many new problems and dilemmas have occurred in the practice of medical geneticists with the development of human genetics and its subdisciplines--molecular genetics, ethic genetics and juridical genetics. Devoid of the possibility to get adequate education, genetic informer or better to say, counsellor, although a scientist and a professional who has already formed his ethic attitudes, often finds himself in a dilemma when he has to decide whether a procedure made possible by progress of science is ethical or not. Thus, due to different attitudes, same decision is ethical for some, while for the others it is not. Ethic committees are groups of moral and good people trying to find an objective approach to certain genetic and ethic problems. There are more and more ethically unanswered questions in modern human genetics, and particularly in medical genetics. Medical geneticist-ethicist still encounters numerous problems in his work. These are, for example, experiments with human gametes and embryos, possibilities of hybridization of human gametes with animal gametes, in vitro fertilization, detection of heterozygotes and homozygotes for monogene diseases. early detection of chromosomopathies, substitute mothers, homo and hetero insemination, transplantation of fetal and cadeveric organs, uncontrolled consumption of alcohol and drugs, environmental pollution, etc. It is almost impossible to create a single attitude which shall be shared by all those engaged in human health protection. Therefore, it is best to have a neutral eugenetic attitude which allows free ethical choice of each individual, in any case, for the well-being of man. PMID:2366624
Manrique, Pilar; Bolduc, Benjamin; Walk, Seth T; van der Oost, John; de Vos, Willem M; Young, Mark J
The role of bacteriophages in influencing the structure and function of the healthy human gut microbiome is unknown. With few exceptions, previous studies have found a high level of heterogeneity in bacteriophages from healthy individuals. To better estimate and identify the shared phageome of humans, we analyzed a deep DNA sequence dataset of active bacteriophages and available metagenomic datasets of the gut bacteriophage community from healthy individuals. We found 23 shared bacteriophages in more than one-half of 64 healthy individuals from around the world. These shared bacteriophages were found in a significantly smaller percentage of individuals with gastrointestinal/irritable bowel disease. A network analysis identified 44 bacteriophage groups of which 9 (20%) were shared in more than one-half of all 64 individuals. These results provide strong evidence of a healthy gut phageome (HGP) in humans. The bacteriophage community in the human gut is a mixture of three classes: a set of core bacteriophages shared among more than one-half of all people, a common set of bacteriophages found in 20-50% of individuals, and a set of bacteriophages that are either rarely shared or unique to a person. We propose that the core and common bacteriophage communities are globally distributed and comprise the HGP, which plays an important role in maintaining gut microbiome structure/function and thereby contributes significantly to human health. PMID:27573828
Cropper, M.L. ); Portney, P.R.
The future costs of regulatory programs to protect human health are routinely discounted, but the lives they save in the future are not. To shed light on the public's attitude toward the discounting of human lives, researchers at Resources for the Future asked 2,600 individuals to choose between one hypothetical program that would save lives immediately and another that would save lives in 5, 10, 25, 50, or 100 years. From the responses, they inferred the number of lives that must be saved in the future to make people as content as saving one life today, compared this implicit discount rate to the respondents' discount rate for money, and identified several factors that affect discount rates for human lives.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Wiener, Earl L. (Editor); Nagel, David C. (Editor)
The fundamental principles of human-factors (HF) analysis for aviation applications are examined in a collection of reviews by leading experts, with an emphasis on recent developments. The aim is to provide information and guidance to the aviation community outside the HF field itself. Topics addressed include the systems approach to HF, system safety considerations, the human senses in flight, information processing, aviation workloads, group interaction and crew performance, flight training and simulation, human error in aviation operations, and aircrew fatigue and circadian rhythms. Also discussed are pilot control; aviation displays; cockpit automation; HF aspects of software interfaces; the design and integration of cockpit-crew systems; and HF issues for airline pilots, general aviation, helicopters, and ATC.
Human nutrition: evolutionary perspectives.
Barnicot, N A
In recent decades, much new evidence relating to the ape forerunners of modern humans has come to hand and diet appears to be an important factor. At some stage, there must have been a transition from a largely vegetarian ape diet to a modern human hunting economy providing significant amounts of meat. On an even longer evolutionary time scale the change was more complex. The mechanisms of evolutionary change are now better understood than they were in Darwin's time, thanks largely to great advances in genetics, both experimental and theoretical. It is virtually certain that diet, as a major component of the human environment, must have exerted evolutionary effects, but researchers still have little good evidence. PMID:17393680
Bouhifd, Mounir; Andersen, Melvin E.; Baghdikian, Christina; Boekelheide, Kim; Crofton, Kevin M.; Fornace, Albert J.; Kleensang, Andre; Li, Henghong; Livi, Carolina; Maertens, Alexandra; McMullen, Patrick D.; Rosenberg, Michael; Thomas, Russell; Vantangoli, Marguerite; Yager, James D.; Zhao, Liang; Hartung, Thomas
Summary The Human Toxome Project, funded as an NIH Transformative Research grant 2011–2016, is focused on developing the concepts and the means for deducing, validating and sharing molecular pathways of toxicity (PoT). Using the test case of estrogenic endocrine disruption, the responses of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells are being phenotyped by transcriptomics and mass-spectrometry-based metabolomics. The bioinformatics tools for PoT deduction represent a core deliverable. A number of challenges for quality and standardization of cell systems, omics technologies and bioinformatics are being addressed. In parallel, concepts for annotation, validation and sharing of PoT information, as well as their link to adverse outcomes, are being developed. A reasonably comprehensive public database of PoT, the Human Toxome Knowledge-base, could become a point of reference for toxicological research and regulatory test strategies. PMID:25742299
Wilson, E O
The world's fauna and flora has entered a crisis unparalleled since the end of the Mesozoic Era, with the extinction rate of species now elevated to more than a thousand times that existing before the coming of humanity. Scientists and policy makers are ill-prepared to moderate this hemorrhaging, because so little is known of the biology of the Earth's millions of species and because so little effort has been directed toward conservation thus far. With the vanished species will go great potential wealth in scientific knowledge, new products, ecosystems services, and part of the natural world in which the human species originated. The need for new research and improved management is thus urgent. If it is not met, humanity will likely survive, but in a world biologically impoverished for all time. PMID:8155855
Classifying human manipulation behavior.
Bullock, Ian M; Dollar, Aaron M
This paper presents a taxonomy for detailed classification of human and anthropomorphic manipulation behavior. This hand-centric, motion-centric taxonomy differentiates tasks based on criteria such as object contact, prehension, and the nature of object motion relative to a hand frame. A sub-classification of the most dexterous categories, within-hand manipulation, is also presented, based on the principal axis of object rotation or translation in the hand frame. Principles for categorizing complex, multi-faceted tasks are also presented, along with illustrative examples. We hope that the proposed taxonomy will both establish a standard language around human and anthropomorphic manipulation as well as enable improved understanding of the differences in hand use for a wide variety of behavior. Although designed for human and anthropomorphic hands, the taxonomy might easily be extended to a wide range of robot manipulators and end-effectors. PMID:22275611
Jiang, Peidu; Mizushima, Noboru
Autophagy is a major intracellular degradative process that delivers cytoplasmic materials to the lysosome for degradation. Since the discovery of autophagy-related (Atg) genes in the 1990s, there has been a proliferation of studies on the physiological and pathological roles of autophagy in a variety of autophagy knockout models. However, direct evidence of the connections between ATG gene dysfunction and human diseases has emerged only recently. There are an increasing number of reports showing that mutations in the ATG genes were identified in various human diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, infectious diseases, and cancers. Here, we review the major advances in identification of mutations or polymorphisms of the ATG genes in human diseases. Current autophagy-modulating compounds in clinical trials are also summarized. PMID:24323045
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hart, Sandra G.
The state-of-the-art helicopter and its pilot are examined using the tools of human-factors analysis. The significant role of human error in helicopter accidents is discussed; the history of human-factors research on helicopters is briefly traced; the typical flight tasks are described; and the noise, vibration, and temperature conditions typical of modern military helicopters are characterized. Also considered are helicopter controls, cockpit instruments and displays, and the impact of cockpit design on pilot workload. Particular attention is given to possible advanced-technology improvements, such as control stabilization and augmentation, FBW and fly-by-light systems, multifunction displays, night-vision goggles, pilot night-vision systems, night-vision displays with superimposed symbols, target acquisition and designation systems, and aural displays. Diagrams, drawings, and photographs are provided.
Bouhifd, Mounir; Andersen, Melvin E; Baghdikian, Christina; Boekelheide, Kim; Crofton, Kevin M; Fornace, Albert J; Kleensang, Andre; Li, Henghong; Livi, Carolina; Maertens, Alexandra; McMullen, Patrick D; Rosenberg, Michael; Thomas, Russell; Vantangoli, Marguerite; Yager, James D; Zhao, Liang; Hartung, Thomas
The Human Toxome Project, funded as an NIH Transformative Research grant 2011-2016, is focused on developing the concepts and the means for deducing, validating and sharing molecular pathways of toxicity (PoT). Using the test case of estrogenic endocrine disruption, the responses of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells are being phenotyped by transcriptomics and mass-spectroscopy-based metabolomics. The bioinformatics tools for PoT deduction represent a core deliverable. A number of challenges for quality and standardization of cell systems, omics technologies and bioinformatics are being addressed. In parallel, concepts for annotation, validation and sharing of PoT information, as well as their link to adverse outcomes, are being developed. A reasonably comprehensive public database of PoT, the Human Toxome Knowledge-base, could become a point of reference for toxicological research and regulatory test strategies. PMID:25742299
Singh, Navjeevan
Understanding the medical humanities (MH) and their role in medical education is in its infancy in India. Students are initiated into professional (medical) education too early in life, usually at the expense of a basic grounding in the humanities, resulting in warped intellectual growth. The author, arguing against the wholesale import of foreign systems, advocates free inquiry by medical educators to evolve a humanities programme for medical students derived from our own cultural context. This essay describes the early experiences of efforts to make a beginning at the University College of Medical Sciences, Delhi. The author reviews the various strategies used and the challenges of introducing the subject to the current generation of medical students. PMID:22864074
Teleoperator Human Factors Study
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
An investigation of the spectrum of space teleoperation activities likely in the 1985 to 1995 decade focused on the resolution of critical human engineering issues and characterization of the technology effect on performance of remote human operators. The study began with the identification and documentation of a set of representative reference teleoperator tasks. For each task, technology, development, and design options, issues, and alternatives that bear on human operator performance were defined and categorized. A literature survey identified existing studies of man/machine issues. For each teleoperations category, an assessment was made of the state of knowledge on a scale from adequate to void. The tests, experiments, and analyses necessary to provide the missing elements of knowledge were then defined. A limited set of tests were actually performed, including operator selection, baseline task definition, control mode study, lighting study, camera study, and preliminary time delay study.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Makdisi, Yousef
The American Physical Society has a long history of involvement in defense of human rights. The Committee on International Freedom of Scientists was formed in the mid seventies as a subcommittee within the Panel On Public Affairs ``to deal with matters of an international nature that endangers the abilities of scientists to function as scientists'' and by 1980 it was established as an independent committee. In this presentation I will describe some aspects of the early history and the impetus that led to such an advocacy, the methods employed then and how they evolved to the present CIFS responsibility ``for monitoring concerns regarding human rights for scientists throughout the world''. I will also describe the current approach and some sample cases the committee has pursued recently, the interaction with other human rights organizations, and touch upon some venues through which the community can engage to help in this noble cause.
Preparing for Human Exploration
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Drake, Bret G.; Joosten, B. Kent
NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise is defining architectures and requirements for human exploration that radically reduce the costs of such missions through the use of advanced technologies, commercial partnerships and innovative systems strategies. In addition, the HEDS Enterprise is collaborating with the Space Science Enterprise to acquire needed early knowledge about Mars and to demonstrate critical technologies via robotic missions. This paper provides an overview of the technological challenges facing NASA as it prepares for human exploration. Emphasis is placed on identifying the key technologies including those which will provide the most return in terms of reducing total mission cost and/or reducing potential risk to the mission crew. Top-level requirements are provided for those critical enabling technology options currently under consideration.
Shaw, Dorothy
Abortion has been a reality in women's lives since the beginning of recorded history, typically with a high risk of fatal consequences, until the last century when evolutions in the field of medicine, including techniques of safe abortion and effective methods of family planning, could have ended the need to seek unsafe abortion. The context of women's lives globally is an important but often ignored variable, increasingly recognised in evolving human rights especially related to gender and reproduction. International and regional human rights instruments are being invoked where national laws result in violations of human rights such as health and life. The individual right to conscientious objection must be respected and better understood, and is not absolute. Health professional organisations have a role to play in clarifying responsibilities consistent with national laws and respecting reproductive rights. Seeking common ground using evidence rather than polarised opinion can assist the future focus. PMID:20303830
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Rochlis-Zumbado, Jennifer; Sandor, Aniko; Ezer, Neta
Risk of Inadequate Design of Human and Automation/Robotic Integration (HARI) is a new Human Research Program (HRP) risk. HRI is a research area that seeks to understand the complex relationship among variables that affect the way humans and robots work together to accomplish goals. The DRP addresses three major HRI study areas that will provide appropriate information for navigation guidance to a teleoperator of a robot system, and contribute to the closure of currently identified HRP gaps: (1) Overlays -- Use of overlays for teleoperation to augment the information available on the video feed (2) Camera views -- Type and arrangement of camera views for better task performance and awareness of surroundings (3) Command modalities -- Development of gesture and voice command vocabularies
The Exploration of Mars by Humans: Why Mars? Why Humans?
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Levine, Joel S.
As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's historic flight in 1961, the first flight of a human in space, plans are underway for another historic human mission. Plans are being developed for a human mission to Mars. Once we reach Mars, the human species will become the first two-planet species. Both the Bush Administration (in 2004) and the Obama Administration (in 2010) proposed a human mission to Mars as a national goal of the United States.
Human Modeling for Ground Processing Human Factors Engineering Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Stambolian, Damon B.; Lawrence, Brad A.; Stelges, Katrine S.; Steady, Marie-Jeanne O.; Ridgwell, Lora C.; Mills, Robert E.; Henderson, Gena; Tran, Donald; Barth, Tim
There have been many advancements and accomplishments over the last few years using human modeling for human factors engineering analysis for design of spacecraft. The key methods used for this are motion capture and computer generated human models. The focus of this paper is to explain the human modeling currently used at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), and to explain the future plans for human modeling for future spacecraft designs
Human Modeling For Ground Processing Human Factors Engineering Analysis
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Tran, Donald; Stambolian, Damon; Henderson, Gena; Barth, Tim
There have been many advancements and accomplishments over that last few years using human modeling for human factors engineering analysis for design of spacecraft and launch vehicles. The key methods used for this are motion capture and computer generated human models. The focus of this paper is to explain the different types of human modeling used currently and in the past at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) currently, and to explain the future plans for human modeling for future spacecraft designs.
Cardiovascular Deconditioning in Humans: Human Studies Core
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Williams, Gordon
Major cardiovascular problems, secondary to cardiovascular deconditioning, may occur on extended space missions. While it is generally assumed that the microgravity state is the primary cause of cardiovascular deconditioning, sleep deprivation and disruption of diurnal rhythms may also play an important role. Factors that could be modified by either or both of these perturbations include: autonomic function and short-term cardiovascular reflexes, vasoreactivity, circadian rhythm of cardiovascular hormones (specifically the renin-angiotensin system) and renal sodium handling and hormonal influences on that process, venous compliance, cardiac mass, and cardiac conduction processes. The purpose of the Human Studies Core is to provide the infrastructure to conduct human experiments which will allow for the assessment of the likely role of such factors in the space travel associated cardiovascular deconditioning process and to develop appropriate countermeasures. The Core takes advantage of a newly-created Intensive Physiologic Monitoring (IPM) Unit at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, to perform these studies. The Core includes two general experimental protocols. The first protocol involves a head down tilt bed-rest study to simulate microgravity. The second protocol includes the addition of a disruption of circadian rhythms to the simulated microgravity environment. Before and after each of these environmental manipulations, the subjects will undergo acute stressors simulating changes in volume and/or stress, which could occur in space and on return to Earth. The subjects are maintained in a rigidly controlled environment with fixed light/dark cycles, activity pattern, and dietary intake of nutrients, fluids, ions and calories.
Küntzer, Jan; Eggle, Daniela; Klostermann, Stefan; Burtscher, Helmut
More than 100 000 human genetic variations have been described in various genes that are associated with a wide variety of diseases. Such data provides invaluable information for both clinical medicine and basic science. A number of locus-specific databases have been developed to exploit this huge amount of data. However, the scope, format and content of these databases differ strongly and as no standard for variation databases has yet been adopted, the way data is presented varies enormously. This review aims to give an overview of current resources for human variation data in public and commercial resources. PMID:20639550
Chapelle, A. de la; Vogelstein, B.; Kinzler, K.W.
The human MSH2 gene, responsible for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, was identified by virtue of its homology to the MutS class of genes, which are involved in DNA mismatch repair. The sequence of cDNA clones of the human gene are provided, and the sequence of the gene can be used to demonstrate the existence of germ line mutations in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) kindreds, as well as in replication error{sup +} (RER{sup +}) tumor cells. 19 figs.
de la Chapelle, Albert; Vogelstein, Bert; Kinzler, Kenneth W.
The human MSH2 gene, responsible for hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer, was identified by virtue of its homology to the MutS class of genes, which are involved in DNA mismatch repair. The sequence of cDNA clones of the human gene are provided, and the sequence of the gene can be used to demonstrate the existence of germ line mutations in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) kindreds, as well as in replication error.sup.+ (RER.sup.+) tumor cells.
[Human reservoirs of Pneumocystis].
Wissmann, Gustavo; Morilla, Ruben; Friaza, Vicente; Calderón, Enrique; Varela, Jose M
Pneumocystis jirovecii, the fungal agent that causes Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), is known to exclusively infect humans. Molecular studies have enabled detection of this fungus in individuals who have been colonized by P. jirovecii. Such colonization, found in several populations, seems to act as a human reservoir for the fungus. Various studies have reported mutations associated with sulfa resistance in P. jirovecii strains isolated from colonized patients, who can transmit the mutant genotype to PCP-susceptible individuals. The growing interest in P. jirovecii colonization may prompt the design of new prevention and management strategies for PCP. PMID:19403207
McGee, Andrew
In this paper, I examine Jeff McMahan's arguments for his claim that we are not human organisms, and the arguments of Derek Parfit to the same effect in a recent paper. McMahan uses these arguments to derive conclusions concerning the moral status of embryos and permanent vegetative state (PVS) patients. My claim will be that neither thinker has successfully shown that we are not human beings, and therefore these arguments do not establish the ethical conclusions that McMahan has sought to draw from the arguments in respect of the moral status of embryos and PVS patients. PMID:26810918
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Jack is an advanced human factors software package that provides a three dimensional model for predicting how a human will interact with a given system or environment. It can be used for a broad range of computer-aided design applications. Jack was developed by the computer Graphics Research Laboratory of the University of Pennsylvania with assistance from NASA's Johnson Space Center, Ames Research Center and the Army. It is the University's first commercial product. Jack is still used for academic purposes at the University of Pennsylvania. Commercial rights were given to Transom Technologies, Inc.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Bank, Arthur; Mears, J. Gregory; Ramirez, Francesco
Studies of the human hemoglobin system have provided new insights into the regulation of expression of a group of linked human genes, the γ -δ -β globin gene complex in man. In particular, the thalassemia syndromes and related disorders of man are inherited anemias that provide mutations for the study of the regulation of globin gene expression. New methods, including restriction enzyme analysis and cloning of cellular DNA, have made it feasible to define more precisely the structure and organization of the globin genes in cellular DNA. Deletions of specific globin gene fragments have already been found in certain of these disorders and have been applied in prenatal diagnosis.
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Martinsen, Ø. G.; Grimnes, S.; Lütken, C. A.; Johnsen, G. K.
The memristor is basically a resistor with memory, so that the resistance is dependent on the net amount of charge having passed through the device. It is the regarded the fourth fundamental component, in addition to the resistor, capacitor and inductor, that can be deduced from the four basic circuit variables; current, voltage, charge and magnetic flux. We show that memristors can be used for modelling electrical properties of human skin. In particular is electro-osmosis in human sweat ducts of memristive nature.
Making IBM's Computer, Watson, Human
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rachlin, Howard
This essay uses the recent victory of an IBM computer (Watson) in the TV game, "Jeopardy," to speculate on the abilities Watson would need, in addition to those it has, to be human. The essay's basic premise is that to be human is to behave as humans behave and to function in society as humans function. Alternatives to this premise are considered…
Human Challenges in Exploration Missions
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Lloyd, Charles W.
This viewgraph presents an overview using pictures some of the history of human exploration of the new frontiers of Earth and then examines some of the challenges to human exploration of space. Particular attention is given to the environmental factors and to the social and human factors that effect humans in space environments.
Immunodominance: a new hypothesis to explain parasite escape and host/parasite equilibrium leading to the chronic phase of Chagas' disease?
Rodrigues, M M; Alencar, B C G de; Claser, C; Tzelepis, F
Intense immune responses are observed during human or experimental infection with the digenetic protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The reasons why such immune responses are unable to completely eliminate the parasites are unknown. The survival of the parasite leads to a parasite-host equilibrium found during the chronic phase of chagasic infection in most individuals. Parasite persistence is recognized as the most likely cause of the chagasic chronic pathologies. Therefore, a key question in Chagas' disease is to understand how this equilibrium is established and maintained for a long period. Understanding the basis for this equilibrium may lead to new approaches to interventions that could help millions of individuals at risk for infection or who are already infected with T. cruzi. Here, we propose that the phenomenon of immunodominance may be significant in terms of regulating the host-parasite equilibrium observed in Chagas' disease. T. cruzi infection restricts the repertoire of specific T cells generating, in some cases, an intense immunodominant phenotype and in others causing a dramatic interference in the response to distinct epitopes. This immune response is sufficiently strong to maintain the host alive during the acute phase carrying them to the chronic phase where transmission usually occurs. At the same time, immunodominance interferes with the development of a higher and broader immune response that could be able to completely eliminate the parasite. Based on this, we discuss how we can interfere with or take advantage of immunodominance in order to provide an immunotherapeutic alternative for chagasic individuals. PMID:19287899
Designers of Human Settlements
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Cliff, Ursula
Reviewed herein are the ideas of nine men who have addressed themselves to the problems of human settlements in this century. The ideas reviewed include those of Arnold Toynbee, Lewis Mumford, Hassan Fathy, Buckminster Fuller, Constantinos Doxiadis, Charles Correa, Paul Mwaluko, Robert McNamara and John F. C. Turner. (BT)
The Human Toxome project, funded as an NIH Transformative Research grant 2011--‐ 2016, is focused on developing the concepts and the means for deducing, validating, and sharing molecular Pathways of Toxicity (PoT). Using the test case of estrogenic endocrine disruption, the respo...
Human neurotrichinellosis, United States
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Parasites of the genus Trichinella are globally-distributed, tissue-dwelling nematodes that predominantly infect mammals, though certain species are known to infect birds and reptiles as well. Human trichinellosis occurs by the ingestion of raw or improperly cooked meat harboring the infective muscl...
Biotechnologies and Human Dignity
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Sweet, William; Masciulli, Joseph
In this article, the authors review some contemporary cases where biotechnologies have been employed, where they have had global implications, and where there has been considerable debate. The authors argue that the concept of dignity, which lies at the center of such documents as the 2005 Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, the…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Macmurray, John
This article presents "Learning to be Human", which John Macmurray delivered on 5 May 1958 as the annual public lecture at Moray House College of Education, now part of Edinburgh University. The key themes of the paper are ones to which Macmurray returned again and again in both his educational and his philosophical writing for over 40 years and…
Human Babesiosis, Bolivia, 2013
Gabrielli, Simona; Totino, Valentina; Macchioni, Fabio; Zuñiga, Freddy; Rojas, Patricia; Lara, Yuni; Roselli, Mimmo; Cancrini, Gabriella
To investigate human babesiosis in the Bolivian Chaco, in 2013 we tested blood samples from 271 healthy persons living in 2 rural communities in this region. Microscopy and PCR indicated that 3.3% of persons were positive for Babesia microti parasites (US lineage); seroprevalence was 45.7%. Appropriate screening should mitigate the risk for transfusion-associated babesiosis. PMID:27434696
Occupying the Digital Humanities
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rice, Jeff
This essay questions the digital humanities' dependence on interpretation and critique as strategies for reading and responding to texts. Instead, the essay proposes suggestion as a digital rhetorical practice, one that does not replace hermeneutics, but instead offers alternative ways to respond to texts. The essay uses the Occupy movement as an…
Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics
Riedmann, Eva M
DNA vaccine for T1D promising in the clinic HPV vaccines halved infections in US teenage girls Modified DC immunotherapy against melanoma New study looks at clinical severity of human H7N9 infections Prevnar vaccines are valuable for healthcare systems GAPVAC: New consortium in the fight of brain cancer Cytomegalovirus vaccine to enter phase 3 Malaria vaccination using chemically attenuated parasites
Human Development Student Modules.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.
This set of 61 student learning modules deals with various topics pertaining to human development. The modules, which are designed for use in performance-based vocational education programs, each contain the following components: an introduction for the student, a performance objective, a variety of learning activities, content information, a…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Tamashiro, Roy T.
The advent of the human potential movement has generated the expectation that educators unleash the intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual talents of students. This movement is characterized by its focus on (1) the person as a total being, (2) the needs and concerns of students, (3) phenomenology, (4) personal values and goals, and (5)…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Malassis, Louis
Examines the relationship between education and development in developing nations. Advocates the fostering of a technical humanism--the development of knowledge in all its forms as a basis for action. In this system, technical education is as highly valued as general education. The system, and its applications to rural education is discussed. (CP)
Television and Human Behavior.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Comstock, George; And Others
To compile a comprehensive review of English language scientific literature regarding the effects of television on human behavior, the authors of this book evaluated more than 2,500 books, articles, reports, and other documents. Rather than taking a traditional approach, the authors followed a new model for the retrieval and synthesis of…
Trends in Humanities Programming.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Vavrek, Bernard, Ed.; Whitney, Loralyn, Ed.
Proceedings from this workshop sponsored by the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship are intended to disseminate information to assist rural librarians engaged in planning and conducting public programs that explore issues related to the humanities. This report of the proceedings includes the texts of three presented papers, reactions from…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Fairfield, Roy P., Ed.
A series of essays discussing ideas about humanizing work are presented in the document. Three major sections divide the essays, and each includes a preface with comments suggesting the central focus and questions with which the authors are concerned. The first section deals with the history, philosophy, and issues related to work and contains…
Television's New Humane Collectivity.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schrag, Robert L.; And Others
Analyzes "Taxi,""Barney Miller,""Lou Grant," and "M*A*S*H" in terms of three fantasy themes: the realization of significant others, the alliance in action, and membership into personhood. From these themes emerges a rhetorical vision of the new humane collectivity. (PD)
Strategic Human Resource Development.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Garavan, Thomas N.
Reviews literature on strategic human resource development (HRD) focusing on the characteristics of such activities, conditions necessary for the promotion of HRD, and the benefits to an organization pursuing such activities. Empirical evidence is presented on HRD policy formation and planning processes in Irish high technology companies. (JOW)
Technology Transfer Automated Retrieval System (TEKTRAN)
Food products from animals that graze grasslands and consume diets high in forages are often better for human health than livestock fed diets with forages and concentrates. Meat from livestock that graze pastures in the United States frequently has less fat and higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty...
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Armstrong, Michael
This is the text of Michael Armstrong's address to the Brian Simon Centenary conference, held at the Institute of Education on 26 March 2015. Michael Armstrong celebrates the humanism that underlay Brian's belief in a common system of education, democratic and non-selective, and finds its counterpart in the creative practice of school children.
Futures of Human Communication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Harms, L. S.
There are several research areas basic to the long-range future of human communications. Telecommunication and transportation offer the possiblity of two worldwide communications networks whose interrelationships need to be explored in terms of the needs of the individual, the community, and the world at large. Expanding possibilities of…
Human Papilloma Virus Infections
Wright, V. Cecil
Genital warts are believed to be caused by human papilloma viruses and to be sexually transmitted. The viruses are classified by DNA types, which appear to cause different types of disease. The choice of treatment, and usually its success rate, vary according to the type of disease and its location. PMID:21248973
Marketing Human Resource Development.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Frank, Eric, Ed.
Describes three human resource development activities: training, education, and development. Explains marketing from the practitioners's viewpoint in terms of customer orientation; external and internal marketing; and market analysis, research, strategy, and mix. Shows how to design, develop, and implement strategic marketing plans and identify…
Strengthening Career Human Agency
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Chen, Charles P.
Rooted in A. Bandura's (1982, 2001b) social cognitive theory, the notion of human agency has received considerable attention in vocational and career psychology for the last 2 decades, especially with the recent emergence of social constructivist thinking in the field. This article continues in the same direction. In reviewing the notion of human…
Human performance measuring device
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Michael, J.; Scow, J.
Complex coordinator, consisting of operator control console, recorder, subject display panel, and limb controls, measures human performance by testing perceptual and motor skills. Device measures psychophysiological functions in drug and environmental studies, and is applicable to early detection of psychophysiological body changes.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaplan, Suzanne; Wilson, Gordon
The Independent Human Studies program at Schoolcraft College offers an alternative method of earning academic credits. Students delineate an area of study, pose research questions, gather resources, synthesize the information, state the thesis, choose the method of presentation, set schedules, and take responsibility for meeting deadlines. (MB)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lieberman, David A.
This innovative textbook is the first to integrate learning and memory, behaviour, and cognition. It focuses on fascinating human research in both memory and learning (while also bringing in important animal studies) and brings the reader up to date with the latest developments in the subject. Students are encouraged to think critically: key…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Martinez, Michael E.
The human mind has two types of memory: short-term and long-term. In all types of learning, it is best to use that structure rather than to fight against it. One way to do that is to ensure that learners can fit new information into patterns that can be stored in and more easily retrieved from long-term memory.
Lloyd-Price, Jason; Abu-Ali, Galeb; Huttenhower, Curtis
Humans are virtually identical in their genetic makeup, yet the small differences in our DNA give rise to tremendous phenotypic diversity across the human population. By contrast, the metagenome of the human microbiome-the total DNA content of microbes inhabiting our bodies-is quite a bit more variable, with only a third of its constituent genes found in a majority of healthy individuals. Understanding this variability in the "healthy microbiome" has thus been a major challenge in microbiome research, dating back at least to the 1960s, continuing through the Human Microbiome Project and beyond. Cataloguing the necessary and sufficient sets of microbiome features that support health, and the normal ranges of these features in healthy populations, is an essential first step to identifying and correcting microbial configurations that are implicated in disease. Toward this goal, several population-scale studies have documented the ranges and diversity of both taxonomic compositions and functional potentials normally observed in the microbiomes of healthy populations, along with possible driving factors such as geography, diet, and lifestyle. Here, we review several definitions of a 'healthy microbiome' that have emerged, the current understanding of the ranges of healthy microbial diversity, and gaps such as the characterization of molecular function and the development of ecological therapies to be addressed in the future. PMID:27122046
Neurobiology and the Humanities
Zeki, Semir
Can the arts and humanities contribute significantly to the study of the brain? Similar brain processes are involved in humanistic and scientific inference, and in this essay, I argue that conclusions reached by one are relevant to the other. PMID:25277451
Human Influenza Virus Infections.
Peteranderl, Christin; Herold, Susanne; Schmoldt, Carole
Seasonal and pandemic influenza are the two faces of respiratory infections caused by influenza viruses in humans. As seasonal influenza occurs on an annual basis, the circulating virus strains are closely monitored and a yearly updated vaccination is provided, especially to identified risk populations. Nonetheless, influenza virus infection may result in pneumonia and acute respiratory failure, frequently complicated by bacterial coinfection. Pandemics are, in contrary, unexpected rare events related to the emergence of a reassorted human-pathogenic influenza A virus (IAV) strains that often causes increased morbidity and spreads extremely rapidly in the immunologically naive human population, with huge clinical and economic impact. Accordingly, particular efforts are made to advance our knowledge on the disease biology and pathology and recent studies have brought new insights into IAV adaptation mechanisms to the human host, as well as into the key players in disease pathogenesis on the host side. Current antiviral strategies are only efficient at the early stages of the disease and are challenged by the genomic instability of the virus, highlighting the need for novel antiviral therapies targeting the pulmonary host response to improve viral clearance, reduce the risk of bacterial coinfection, and prevent or attenuate acute lung injury. This review article summarizes our current knowledge on the molecular basis of influenza infection and disease progression, the key players in pathogenesis driving severe disease and progression to lung failure, as well as available and envisioned prevention and treatment strategies against influenza virus infection. PMID:27486731
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Lambert, David
This paper is partly based on a lecture given at the AGTA conference in Perth in January 2013. It argues for a progressive subject based curriculum in which geography plays an essential part. This is based on an analysis of why and how subjects like geography, as part of the humanities, have been undermined and diminished in recent times. In a way…
Humanizing the Secondary School.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Hamilton, Norman K., Ed.; Saylor, J. Galen, Ed.
These papers, presented during ASCD-sponsored conference, confront educators with issues in and alternatives for making secondary schools a more humanizing experience for students. The contributors and their articles are: Norman K. Hamilton, "Alternatives in Secondary Education"; Thornton B. Monez and Norman L. Bussiere, "The High School in Human…
Human Babesiosis, Bolivia, 2013.
Gabrielli, Simona; Totino, Valentina; Macchioni, Fabio; Zuñiga, Freddy; Rojas, Patricia; Lara, Yuni; Roselli, Mimmo; Bartoloni, Alessandro; Cancrini, Gabriella
To investigate human babesiosis in the Bolivian Chaco, in 2013 we tested blood samples from 271 healthy persons living in 2 rural communities in this region. Microscopy and PCR indicated that 3.3% of persons were positive for Babesia microti parasites (US lineage); seroprevalence was 45.7%. Appropriate screening should mitigate the risk for transfusion-associated babesiosis. PMID:27434696
Strobl, J S; Thomas, M J
The study of human growth hormone is a little more than 100 years old. Growth hormone, first identified for its dramatic effect on longitudinal growth, is now known to exert generalized effects on protein, lipid, and carbohydrate metabolism. Additional roles for growth hormone in human physiology are likely to be discovered in the areas of sleep research and reproduction. Furthermore, there is some indication that growth hormone also may be involved in the regulation of immune function, mental well-being, and the aging process. Recombinant DNA technology has provided an abundant and safe, albeit expensive, supply of human growth hormone for human use, but the pharmacological properties of growth hormone are poor. Most growth hormone-deficient individuals exhibit a secretory defect rather than a primary defect in growth hormone production, however, and advances in our understanding of the neuroendocrine regulation of growth hormone secretion have established the basis for the use of drugs to stimulate release of endogenously synthesized growth hormone. This promises to be an important area for future drug development. PMID:8190748
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ong, Bao
Speak Truth To Power consists of 17 teacher-developed lessons based on the stories of rights advocates from all over the world. The lessons were created for sixth-through 12th-grade students, and have come to New York schools thanks to the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and the New York State United Teachers union. Speak…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nadler, Leonard
This book attempts to capture the essence of a rapidly emerging field, that of Human Resource Development (HRD). HRD includes improving performance on the present job (training), preparing individuals for future but identifiable jobs within the organization (education), and helping individuals grow to meet future organizational growth…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Nelson, Cary
The question, "Who will bankroll poetry?", succinctly embodies what is now a widespread recognition that the humanities may have more to lose in the current budget wars than either the sciences or a number of technical fields. The only budget war that can unite individuals, rather than divide them, is one arguing that too much is being spent on…
Communicating with Virtual Humans.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Thalmann, Nadia Magnenat
The face is a small part of a human, but it plays an essential role in communication. An open hybrid system for facial animation is presented. It encapsulates a considerable amount of information regarding facial models, movements, expressions, emotions, and speech. The complex description of facial animation can be handled better by assigning…
Animal and Human Communication.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Rummel, Lynda
Several misconceptions regarding the status of human communication systems relative to the systems of other animals are discussed in this paper. Arguments are offered supporting the expansion of the communication discipline to include the study of the communication systems of other species. The "communicative continuity" view which ranks man at…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Berube, Michael
Graduate education in the humanities is in crisis. Every aspect, from the most specific details of the curriculum to the broadest questions about its purpose, is in crisis. It is a seamless garment of crisis: If one pulls on any one thread, the entire thing unravels. It is therefore exceptionally difficult to discuss any one aspect of graduate…
Antihumanism in the Humanities.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Schwartz, Joel
Analyzes the antihumanistic elements of Jacques Derrida's theory of deconstruction. Argues that the modern French intellectuals, including Foucault, Derrida, and Lacan, have had an antihumanistic effect on the American social sciences and humanities by rejecting the existence of truth, morality, and rationality. (FMW)
Zittrain, Jonathan
Ubiquitous computing means network connectivity everywhere, linking devices and systems as small as a drawing pin and as large as a worldwide product distribution chain. What could happen when people are so readily networked? This paper explores issues arising from two possible emerging models of ubiquitous human computing: fungible networked brainpower and collective personal vital sign monitoring. PMID:18672463
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
DePaulo, Bella; And Others
Discusses several studies of whether and how well humans can detect lies. Examines the accuracy of such persons as well as the process of how they actually detect lies, how they think they detect lies, and whether the actual and perceived processes of lie detection correspond to one another. (JMF)
Reconsidering Human Performance Technology
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jang, Hwan Young
This article discusses three perceived challenges in the field of human performance technology: a missing link from training to performance, limitations in gap analysis and cause analysis, and a lack of attention to business and organization performance. It then provides possible alternatives for each issue, such as instructional system…
Structurally abnormal human autosomes
Chapter 25, discusses structurally abnormal human autosomes. This discussion includes: structurally abnormal chromosomes, chromosomal polymorphisms, pericentric inversions, paracentric inversions, deletions or partial monosomies, cri du chat (cat cry) syndrome, ring chromosomes, insertions, duplication or pure partial trisomy and mosaicism. 71 refs., 8 figs.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Ritz, John M.
Radar is a technology that can be used to detect distant objects not visible to the human eye. A predecessor of radar, called the telemobiloscope, was first used to detect ships in the fog in 1904 off the German coast. Many scientists have worked on the development and refinement of radar (Hertz with electromagnetic waves; Popov with determining…
"Healthy" Human Development Indices
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Engineer, Merwan; Roy, Nilanjana; Fink, Sari
In the Human Development Index (HDI), life expectancy is the only indicator used in modeling the dimension "a long and healthy life". Whereas life expectancy is a direct measure of quantity of life, it is only an indirect measure of healthy years lived. In this paper we attempt to remedy this omission by introducing into the HDI the morbidity…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brown, Gerald L.; Goodwin, Frederick K
The central nervous system transmitter serontonin may be altered in aggressive/impulsive and suicidal behaviors in humans. These reports are largely consistent with animal data, and constitute one of the most highly replicated set of findings in biological psychiatry. Suggests that some suicidal behavior may be a special kind of aggressive…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
McLester, Susan
In 2003, four high school students from the Tashkent International School in the capital city confronted the issue of their nation's human rights problems head on by researching the topic and publishing their findings on the Web. The site, "Uzbekistan: Opaque Reality," was created as an entry for the non-profit Global SchoolNet's Doors to…
Olson, M V
The Human Genome Project in the United States is now well underway. Its programmatic direction was largely set by a National Research Council report issued in 1988. The broad framework supplied by this report has survived almost unchanged despite an upheaval in the technology of genome analysis. This upheaval has primarily affected physical and genetic mapping, the two dominant activities in the present phase of the project. Advances in mapping techniques have allowed good progress toward the specific goals of the project and are also providing strong corollary benefits throughout biomedical research. Actual DNA sequencing of the genomes of the human and model organisms is still at an early stage. There has been little progress in the intrinsic efficiency of DNA-sequence determination. However, refinements in experimental protocols, instrumentation, and project management have made it practical to acquire sequence data on an enlarged scale. It is also increasingly apparent that DNA-sequence data provide a potent means of relating knowledge gained from the study of model organisms to human biology. There is as yet little indication that the infusion of technology from outside biology into the Human Genome Project has been effectively stimulated. Opportunities in this area remain large, posing substantial technical and policy challenges. PMID:8506271
Dando, P M; Brown, M A; Barrett, A J
We have purified human thimet oligopeptidase to homogeneity from erythrocytes, and compared it with the enzyme from rat testis and chicken liver. An antiserum raised against rat thimet oligopeptidase also recognized the human and chicken enzymes, suggesting that the structure of the enzyme has been strongly conserved in evolution. Consistent with this, the properties of the human enzyme were very similar to those for the other species. Thus human thimet oligopeptidase also is a thiol-dependent metallo-oligopeptidase with M(r) about 75,000. Specificity for cleavage of a number of peptides was indistinguishable from that of the rat enzyme, but Ki values for the four potent reversible inhibitors tested were lower. In discussing the results, we consider the determinants of the complex substrate specificity of thimet oligopeptidase. We question whether substrates containing more than 17 amino acid residues are cleaved, as has been suggested. We also point out that the favourable location of a proline residue and a free C-terminus in the substrate may be as important as the hydrophobic residues in the P2, P1 and P3' positions that have been emphasized in the past. Images Figure 1 PMID:8373360
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dubos, Rene J.
By using scientific knowledge and ecological wisdom, new ecosystems can be created which will be more stable, profitable, and favorable to the continued growth of civilization. Nature by itself has not taken care of many problems of ecological interest in past and human intervention is necessary. (PS)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Bureau of Curriculum Development.
Education is a process of adapting to change, and the rate of change is especially rapid in science today. This curriculum in human biology is an alternative to the New York State courses in general and Regents biology, and it has been designed to focus on change from the standpoint of the urban student. It is designed to provide students with…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kolata, Gina
A conference on whether food and nutrients affect human behavior was held on November 9, 1982 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Various research studies on this topic are reviewed, including the effects of food on brain biochemistry (particularly sleep) and effects of tryptophane as a pain reducer. (JN)
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Sandor, Aniko; Cross, E. Vincent, II; Chang, Mai Lee
Human-robot interaction (HRI) is a discipline investigating the factors affecting the interactions between humans and robots. It is important to evaluate how the design of interfaces affect the human's ability to perform tasks effectively and efficiently when working with a robot. By understanding the effects of interface design on human performance, workload, and situation awareness, interfaces can be developed to appropriately support the human in performing tasks with minimal errors and with appropriate interaction time and effort. Thus, the results of research on human-robot interfaces have direct implications for the design of robotic systems. For efficient and effective remote navigation of a rover, a human operator needs to be aware of the robot's environment. However, during teleoperation, operators may get information about the environment only through a robot's front-mounted camera causing a keyhole effect. The keyhole effect reduces situation awareness which may manifest in navigation issues such as higher number of collisions, missing critical aspects of the environment, or reduced speed. One way to compensate for the keyhole effect and the ambiguities operators experience when they teleoperate a robot is adding multiple cameras and including the robot chassis in the camera view. Augmented reality, such as overlays, can also enhance the way a person sees objects in the environment or in camera views by making them more visible. Scenes can be augmented with integrated telemetry, procedures, or map information. Furthermore, the addition of an exocentric (i.e., third-person) field of view from a camera placed in the robot's environment may provide operators with the additional information needed to gain spatial awareness of the robot. Two research studies investigated possible mitigation approaches to address the keyhole effect: 1) combining the inclusion of the robot chassis in the camera view with augmented reality overlays, and 2) modifying the camera
Making Human Beings Human: Bioecological Perspectives on Human Development. The SAGE Program on Applied Developmental Science
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bronfenbrenner, Urie, Ed.
To a greater extent than any other species, human beings create the environments that, in turn, shape their own development. This book endeavors to demonstrate that human beings can also develop those environments to optimize their most constructive genetic potentials. What makes human beings human, therefore, is both the potential to shape their…
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Hart, Sandra G.; Sridhar, Banavar (Technical Monitor)
Even under optimal conditions, helicopter flight is a most demanding form of human-machine interaction, imposing continuous manual, visual, communications, and mental demands on pilots. It is made even more challenging by small margins for error created by the close proximity of terrain in NOE flight and missions flown at night and in low visibility. Although technology advances have satisfied some current and proposed requirements, hardware solutions alone are not sufficient to ensure acceptable system performance and pilot workload. However, human factors data needed to improve the design and use of helicopters lag behind advances in sensor, display, and control technology. Thus, it is difficult for designers to consider human capabilities and limitations when making design decisions. This results in costly accidents, design mistakes, unrealistic mission requirements, excessive training costs, and challenge human adaptability. NASA, in collaboration with DOD, industry, and academia, has initiated a program of research to develop scientific data bases and design principles to improve the pilot/vehicle interface, optimize training time and cost, and maintain pilot workload and system performance at an acceptable level. Work performed at Ames, and by other research laboratories, will be reviewed to summarize the most critical helicopter human factors problems and the results of research that has been performed to: (1) Quantify/model pilots use of visual cues for vehicle control; (2) Improve pilots' performance with helmet displays of thermal imagery and night vision goggles for situation awareness and vehicle control; (3) Model the processes by which pilots encode maps and compare them to the visual scene to develop perceptually and cognitively compatible electronic map formats; (4) Evaluate the use of spatially localized auditory displays for geographical orientation, target localization, radio frequency separation; (5) Develop and flight test control
The science of unitary human beings and interpretive human science.
Reeder, F
Natural science and human science are identified as the bases of most nursing theories and research programs. Natural science has been disclaimed by Martha Rogers as the philosophy of science that undergirds her work. The question remains, is the science of unitary human beings an interpretive human science? The author explores the works of Rogers through a dialectic with two human scientists' works. Wilhelm Dilthey's works represent the founding or traditional view, and Jurgen Habermas' works represent a contemporary, reconstructionist view. The ways Rogerian thought contributes to human studies but is distinct from traditional and reconstructionist human sciences are illuminated. PMID:8455869
Ribes, Julie A.; Vanover-Sams, Carolyn L.; Baker, Doris J.
The Zygomycetes represent relatively uncommon isolates in the clinical laboratory, reflecting either environmental contaminants or, less commonly, a clinical disease called zygomycosis. There are two orders of Zygomycetes containing organisms that cause human disease, the Mucorales and the Entomophthorales. The majority of human illness is caused by the Mucorales. While disease is most commonly linked to Rhizopus spp., other organisms are also associated with human infection, including Mucor, Rhizomucor, Absidia, Apophysomyces, Saksenaea, Cunninghamella, Cokeromyces, and Syncephalastrum spp. Although Mortierella spp. do cause disease in animals, there is no longer sufficient evidence to suggest that they are true human pathogens. The spores from these molds are transmitted by inhalation, via a variety of percutaneous routes, or by ingestion of spores. Human zygomycosis caused by the Mucorales generally occurs in immunocompromised hosts as opportunistic infections. Host risk factors include diabetes mellitus, neutropenia, sustained immunosuppressive therapy, chronic prednisone use, iron chelation therapy, broad-spectrum antibiotic use, severe malnutrition, and primary breakdown in the integrity of the cutaneous barrier such as trauma, surgical wounds, needle sticks, or burns. Zygomycosis occurs only rarely in immunocompetent hosts. The disease manifestations reflect the mode of transmission, with rhinocerebral and pulmonary diseases being the most common manifestations. Cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and allergic diseases are also seen. The Mucorales are associated with angioinvasive disease, often leading to thrombosis, infarction of involved tissues, and tissue destruction mediated by a number of fungal proteases, lipases, and mycotoxins. If the diagnosis is not made early, dissemination often occurs. Therapy, if it is to be effective, must be started early and requires combinations of antifungal drugs, surgical intervention, and reversal of the underlying risk
A CRE/AP-1-Like Motif Is Essential for Induced Syncytin-2 Expression and Fusion in Human Trophoblast-Like Model
Vargas, Amandine; Rassart, Éric; Barbeau, Benoit
Syncytin-2 is encoded by the envelope gene of Endogenous Retrovirus-FRD (ERVFRD-1) and plays a critical role in fusion of placental trophoblasts leading to the formation of the multinucleated syncytiotrophoblast. Its expression is consequently regulated in a strict manner. In the present study, we have identified a forskolin-responsive region located between positions -300 to -150 in the Syncytin-2 promoter region. This 150 bp region in the context of a minimal promoter mediated an 80-fold induction of promoter activity following forskolin stimulation. EMSA analyses with competition experiments with nuclear extracts from forskolin-stimulated BeWo cells demonstrated that the -211 to -177 region specifically bound two forskolin-induced complexes, one of them containing a CRE/AP-1-like motif. Site-directed mutagenesis of the CRE/AP-1 binding site in the context of the Syncytin-2 promoter or a heterologous promoter showed that this motif was mostly essential for forskolin-induced promoter activity. Transfection experiments with dominant negative mutants and constitutively activated CREB expression vectors in addition to Chromatin Immunoprecipitation suggested that a CREB family member, CREB2 was binding and acting through the CRE/AP-1 motif. We further demonstrated the binding of JunD to this same motif. Similar to forskolin and soluble cAMP, CREB2 and JunD overexpression induced Syncytin-2 promoter activity in a CRE/AP-1-dependent manner and Syncytin-2 expression. In addition, BeWo cell fusion was induced by both CREB2 and JunD overexpression, while being repressed following silencing of either gene. These results thereby demonstrate that induced expression of Syncytin-2 is highly dependent on the interaction of bZIP-containing transcription factors to a CRE/AP-1 motif and that this element is important for the regulation of Syncytin-2 expression, which results in the formation of the peripheral syncytiotrophoblast layer. PMID:25781974
Bunkers, Sandra Schmidt
In this column the author focuses on the concepts of human vulnerability and human flourishing. A parable is presented highlighting the importance of now, the present, in human flourishing. A bioethical, anthropological perspective and a nursing humanbecoming perspective on human flourishing are offered. Nursing education is challenged to emphasize the nursing theories of the discipline to teach the concept of human flourishing. Parse's concept of true presence, the four postulates of humanbecoming, and the humanbecoming community change concepts illuminate a nursing theoretical understanding of human flourishing. PMID:20870999
Human eosinophil transmigration.
Bazan-Socha, Stanislawa; Zuk, Joanna; Jakiela, Bogdan; Musial, Jacek
In this chapter we describe an optimized eosinophil transmigration assay. Transmigration of purified human peripheral blood eosinophils can be studied using special insert with membrane coated with extracellular matrix components or membrane covered with cells growing as a confluent monolayer, such as vascular endothelial cells of any origin or airway epithelial cells. In our opinion, eosinophil transmigration assay performed through monolayer of human microvascular endothelial cells of lung origin is a suitable tool to estimate the full migratory potential of eosinophils in studies on the pathology of asthma or other respiratory diseases, where eosinophils play important effector functions. This experimental system is easy to perform, simple for optimization, and comparable to in vivo processes occurring during eosinophil migration to the inflammatory sites in lungs. PMID:24986615
Pereira-Menaut, Antonio Carlos; Pereira Sáez, Carolina
Since World War II, human dignity has made its way into many constitutions, bills of rights and international treaties. As its roots can be traced easily back to the Judeo-Christian tradition, and, later on, to the influential Kantian vision, dignity cannot be deemed an entirely new concept. For the same token, it cannot be said that dignity has been entirely alien to the legal realm till 1945. On the other hand, the latest philosophical and anthropological trends, as well as the politicisation of the human being, along with some recent advances in biotechnologies, help to explain its growing presence in the legal world. However, these authors suggest that writing down dignity in legal texts does not fully settle its meaning, not even if such texts are constitutions, and the fact remains that its presence in the judicial reasoning does not always imply being the ratio decidendi, as the study of some relevant judicial decisions shows. PMID:25329413
Autophagosomes and human diseases.
Beau, Isabelle; Mehrpour, Maryam; Codogno, Patrice
The autophagosome is a double-membrane bound compartment that initiates macroautophagy, a degradative pathway for cytoplasmic material terminating in the lysosomal compartment. The discovery of ATG genes involved in the formation of autophagosomes has greatly increased our understanding of the molecular basis of macroautophagy, and its role in cell function. Macroautophagy plays a pivotal role in cell fitness by removing obsolete organelles and protein aggregates. Its stimulation is an adaptive response to stressful situations, such as nutrient deprivation, intended to maintain a level of ATP compatible with cell survival. Macroautophagy is central for organ homeostasis, embryonic development, and longevity. Malfunctioning autophagy is observed in many human diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiac and muscular diseases, infectious and inflammatory diseases, diabetes, and obesity. Discovering potential drug therapies that can be used to modulate macroautophagy is a major challenge, and likely to enhance the therapeutic arsenal against many human diseases. PMID:21256243
Human factors workplace considerations
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Haines, Richard F.
Computer workstations assume many different forms and play different functions today. In order for them to assume the effective interface role which they should play they must be properly designed to take into account the ubiguitous human factor. In addition, the entire workplace in which they are used should be properly configured so as to enhance the operational features of the individual workstation where possible. A number of general human factors workplace considerations are presented. This ongoing series of notes covers such topics as achieving comfort and good screen visibility, hardware issues (e.g., mouse maintenance), screen symbology features (e.g., labels, cursors, prompts), and various miscellaneous subjects. These notes are presented here in order to: (1) illustrate how one's workstation can be used to support telescience activities of many other people working within an organization, and (2) provide a single complete set of considerations for future reference.
Wood, R D; Mitchell, M; Sgouros, J; Lindahl, T
Cellular DNA is subjected to continual attack, both by reactive species inside cells and by environmental agents. Toxic and mutagenic consequences are minimized by distinct pathways of repair, and 130 known human DNA repair genes are described here. Notable features presently include four enzymes that can remove uracil from DNA, seven recombination genes related to RAD51, and many recently discovered DNA polymerases that bypass damage, but only one system to remove the main DNA lesions induced by ultraviolet light. More human DNA repair genes will be found by comparison with model organisms and as common folds in three-dimensional protein structures are determined. Modulation of DNA repair should lead to clinical applications including improvement of radiotherapy and treatment with anticancer drugs and an advanced understanding of the cellular aging process. PMID:11181991
Recombinant Human Erythropoietin
Bartels, Claudia; Späte, Kira; Krampe, Henning
Treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unsatisfactory and essentially non-existing for the progressive course of the disease. Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) may be a promising neuroprotective/neuroregenerative treatment of MS. In the nervous system, EPO acts anti-apoptotic, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, neurotrophic and plasticity-modulating. Beneficial effects have been shown in animal models of various neurological and psychiatric diseases, including different models of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. EPO is also effective in human brain disease, as shown in double-blind placebo-controlled clinical studies on ischemic stroke and chronic schizophrenia. An exploratory study on chronic progressive MS yielded lasting improvement in motor and cognitive performance upon high-dose long-term EPO treatment. PMID:21180577
Posthumanism: beyond humanism?
Valera, Luca
The focal point of posthumanism consists not as such in an a-critical acceptance of the technological promises - like there is for transhumanism - but in a total contamination and hybridization of human beings with other living beings and machines (these are the two main forms of contamination). The change of perspective untaken by posthumanism would be, thus, a paradigmatic shift in anthropology. As with ecologism, posthumanism, in order to obtain total contamination and man's openness to otherness, proposes the elimination and the fluidification of boundaries, thus even denying man's identity, and, with it, the very possibility of openness. However, by denying the identity, one denies the condition of possibility of thought, just as it has been manifested in history until now: hence we understand how, primarily, posthumanism is not configured as an adequate philosophical reflection, but as a narrative that takes origin from certain requirements, which are eminently human, and that discloses its deeply anthropogenic roots. PMID:25684386
Warinner, Christina; Speller, Camilla; Collins, Matthew J.; Lewis, Cecil M.
Very recently, we discovered a vast new microbial self: the human microbiome. Our native microbiota interface with our biology and culture to influence our health, behavior, and quality of life, and yet we know very little about their origin, evolution, or ecology. With the advent of industrialization, globalization, and modern sanitation, it is intuitive that we have changed our relationship with microbes, but we have little information about the ancestral state of our microbiome, and therefore, we lack a foundation for characterizing this change. High-throughput sequencing has opened up new opportunities in the field of paleomicrobiology, allowing us to investigate the evolution of the complex microbial ecologies that inhabit our bodies. By focusing on recent coprolite and dental calculus research, we explore how emerging research on ancient human microbiomes is changing the way we think about ancient disease and how archaeological studies can contribute to a medical understanding of health and nutrition today. PMID:25559298
Hyaluronan in human malignancies
Sironen, R.K.; Tammi, M.; Tammi, R.; Auvinen, P.K.; Anttila, M.; Kosma, V-M.
Hyaluronan, a major macropolysaccharide in the extracellular matrix of connective tissues, is intimately involved in the biology of cancer. Hyaluronan accumulates into the stroma of various human tumors and modulates intracellular signaling pathways, cell proliferation, motility and invasive properties of malignant cells. Experimental and clinicopathological evidence highlights the importance of hyaluronan in tumor growth and metastasis. A high stromal hyaluronan content is associated with poorly differentiated tumors and aggressive clinical behavior in human adenocarcinomas. Instead, the squamous cell carcinomas and malignant melanomas tend to have a reduced hyaluronan content. In addition to the stroma-cancer cell interaction, hyaluronan can influence stromal cell recruitment, tumor angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Hyaluronan receptors, hyaluronan synthases and hyaluronan degrading enzymes, hyaluronidases, are involved in the modulation of cancer progression, depending on the tumor type. Furthermore, intracellular signaling and angiogenesis are affected by the degradation products of hyaluronan. Hyaluronan has also therapeutic implications since it is involved in multidrug resistance.
Studying the Human Microbiota.
Walker, Alan W
There are a range of methodologies available to study the human microbiota, ranging from traditional approaches such as culturing through to state-of-the-art developments in next generation DNA sequencing technologies. The advent of molecular techniques in particular has opened up tremendous new avenues for research, and has galvanised interest in the study of our microbial inhabitants. Given the dazzling array of available options, however, it is important to understand the inherent advantages and limitations of each technique so that the best approach can be employed to address the particular research objective. In this chapter we cover some of the most widely used current techniques in human microbiota research and highlight the particular strengths and caveats associated with each approach. PMID:27161348
Minozzi, Simona; Fornaciari, Gino
Many diseases induce alterations in the human skeleton, leaving traces of their presence in ancient remains. Paleopathological examination of human remains not only allows the study of the history and evolution of the disease, but also the reconstruction of health conditions in the past populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from the Roman Imperial Age necropoles found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumours, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, the palaeopathological study allowed to highlight the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population. PMID:27348992
Secure Distributed Human Computation
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gentry, Craig; Ramzan, Zulfikar; Stubblebine, Stuart
In Peha's Financial Cryptography 2004 invited talk, he described the Cyphermint PayCash system (see www.cyphermint.com), which allows people without bank accounts or credit cards (a sizeable segment of the U.S. population) to automatically and instantly cash checks, pay bills, or make Internet transactions through publicly-accessible kiosks. Since PayCash offers automated financial transactions and since the system uses (unprotected) kiosks, security is critical. The kiosk must decide whether a person cashing a check is really the person to whom the check was made out, so it takes a digital picture of the person cashing the check and transmits this picture electronically to a central office, where a human worker compares the kiosk's picture to one that was taken when the person registered with Cyphermint. If both pictures are of the same person, then the human worker authorizes the transaction.
Human freedom and enhancement.
Heilinger, Jan-Christoph; Crone, Katja
Ideas about freedom and related concepts like autonomy and self-determination play a prominent role in the moral debate about human enhancement interventions. However, there is not a single understanding of freedom available, and arguments referring to freedom are simultaneously used to argue both for and against enhancement interventions. This gives rise to misunderstandings and polemical arguments. The paper attempts to disentangle the different distinguishable concepts, classifies them and shows how they relate to one another in order to allow for a more structured and clearer debate. It concludes in identifying the individual underpinnings and the social conditions of choice and decision-making as particularly salient dimensions of freedom in the ethical debate about human enhancement. PMID:23519909
Martinelli, Paul T; Tyring, Stephen K
Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV 8), also known as Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a g2 herpesvirus and the most recently identified human tumor virus. HHV 8 has been consistently implicated in the pathogenesis of all clinical variants of Kaposi's sarcoma, as well as in the plasma cell variant of multicentric Castleman's disease and primary effusion lymphomas. Pathogenicity of the virus is increased in the host who is immunosuppressed, either iatrogenically or through H1V-1 infection. The HHV 8 genome contains several homologues of cellular genes that regulate cell growth and differentiation, and the exact mechanisms of the virus' oncogenicity using molecular piracy are still being investigated and elucidated. In this article, the authors review the epidemiology, transmission, clinical manifestations, and molecular genetics of HHV 8 infection and provide a summary of the current treatment modalities available to the clinician. PMID:12120444
Srivastava, Mani; Abdelzaher, Tarek; Szymanski, Boleslaw
The first decade of the century witnessed a proliferation of devices with sensing and communication capabilities in the possession of the average individual. Examples range from camera phones and wireless global positioning system units to sensor-equipped, networked fitness devices and entertainment platforms (such as Wii). Social networking platforms emerged, such as Twitter, that allow sharing information in real time. The unprecedented deployment scale of such sensors and connectivity options ushers in an era of novel data-driven applications that rely on inputs collected by networks of humans or measured by sensors acting on their behalf. These applications will impact domains as diverse as health, transportation, energy, disaster recovery, intelligence and warfare. This paper surveys the important opportunities in human-centric sensing, identifies challenges brought about by such opportunities and describes emerging solutions to these challenges. PMID:22124088
Accelerating the development of a therapeutic vaccine for human Chagas disease: rationale and prospects
Zhan, Bin; Heffernan, Michael J; Jones, Kathryn; Valenzuela, Jesus G; Kamhawi, Shaden; Ortega, Jaime; de Leon Rosales, Samuel Ponce; Lee, Bruce Y; Bacon, Kristina M; Fleischer, Bernhard; Slingsby, BT; Cravioto, Miguel Betancourt; Tapia-Conyer, Roberto
Chagas disease is a leading cause of heart disease affecting approximately 10 million people in Latin America and elsewhere worldwide. The two major drugs available for the treatment of Chagas disease have limited efficacy in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected adults with indeterminate (patients who have seroconverted but do not yet show signs or symptoms) and determinate (patients who have both seroconverted and have clinical disease) status; they require prolonged treatment courses and are poorly tolerated and expensive. As an alternative to chemotherapy, an injectable therapeutic Chagas disease vaccine is under development to prevent or delay Chagasic cardiomyopathy in patients with indeterminate or determinate status. The bivalent vaccine will be comprised of two recombinant T. cruzi antigens, Tc24 and TSA-1, formulated on alum together with the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist, E6020. Proof-of-concept for the efficacy of these antigens was obtained in preclinical testing at the Autonomous University of Yucatan. Here the authors discuss the potential for a therapeutic Chagas vaccine as well as the progress made towards such a vaccine, and the authors articulate a roadmap for the development of the vaccine as planned by the nonprofit Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership and Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development in collaboration with an international consortium of academic and industrial partners in Mexico, Germany, Japan, and the USA. PMID:23151163
Sorensen, J.H.
Studies were carried out at ORNL to attempt to predict the human response to emergency situations, such as earthquakes and chemical or nuclear disasters. The study includes a literature review, survey of people who have been evacuated, development of a simulation model, survey of US communities, research to support evacuation planning, analysis of variability among organizations, and assessment of flood warning system in Wyoming. Suggestions are given for improving emergency preparedness.
Multichannel Human Body Communication
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Przystup, Piotr; Bujnowski, Adam; Wtorek, Jerzy
Human Body Communication is an attractive alternative for traditional wireless communication (Bluetooth, ZigBee) in case of Body Sensor Networks. Low power, high data rates and data security makes it ideal solution for medical applications. In this paper, signal attenuation for different frequencies, using FR4 electrodes, has been investigated. Performance of single and multichannel transmission with frequency modulation of analog signal has been tested. Experiment results show that HBC is a feasible solution for transmitting data between BSN nodes.
[The process of humanization].
Durali, T
As Stefan Zweig expressed the situation of mankind succinctly: There are key moments in history (Sternstunden der Menschheit). Because of their paramount importance their events are minimal. Moreover, among them there are those which are greater in calibre than the ones quoted in Stefan Zweig's Sternstunden der Menschheit. These are the turning points of history. At first glance we can enumerate four major events: first and foremost, the enormous shift of certain communities from food-gathering to agriculture around 8000 BC mainly in Southwest Asia (Mesopotamia). Second, the introduction of the writing system at circa 3500 BC by the Sumerians again in Southwest Asia. Last but not least that tremendous innovation, maybe the greatest in history, once more in western Asia, the emergence of monotheistic religions based on revelation, and the origination of philosophy-science within the realm of the Antique Aegean civilization. Man's basic reality is biotic. He shares this very particularity with all other living beings of this world. Livingness, so far as we know, is a peculiarity of our planet, the Earth. The unfolding of livingness and ultimately the emergence of man as a living being is apparently covered by evolution. Hominization is the biotic, whereas humanization represents the cultural (or spiritual) aspect of becoming the human being. Hominization and humanization complement one another to bring about the human wholeness. Hominization, or put it in another way, the evolutionary aspect is, indeed, not the beginning of the story. There still remains a lower layer, in the ontological sense of the team, to be tackled; and that is the physical one. Just as with every living thing, man's most fundamental building blocks are of a physico-chemical-i.e. subatomic, atomic and molecular-nature. PMID:14598826
Human vestibular evoked responses.
Muñoz-Gamboa, C; Jiménez-Cruz, J
The results of an experimental series dedicated to the acquisition of human vestibular evoked responses are presented. In these series, manual stimulation is applied to a normal group of subjects with rotational acceleration impulses. Every stimulus is large in magnitude and very short in duration, producing small head movements of only a few degrees through a specially designed head immobilization helmet. Results correspond to middle latency vestibular evoked responses. PMID:7968862
Human exploration mission studies
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Cataldo, Robert L.
The Office of Exploration has established a process whereby all NASA field centers and other NASA Headquarters offices participate in the formulation and analysis of a wide range of mission strategies. These strategies were manifested into specific scenarios or candidate case studies. The case studies provided a systematic approach into analyzing each mission element. First, each case study must address several major themes and rationale including: national pride and international prestige, advancement of scientific knowledge, a catalyst for technology, economic benefits, space enterprise, international cooperation, and education and excellence. Second, the set of candidate case studies are formulated to encompass the technology requirement limits in the life sciences, launch capabilities, space transfer, automation, and robotics in space operations, power, and propulsion. The first set of reference case studies identify three major strategies: human expeditions, science outposts, and evolutionary expansion. During the past year, four case studies were examined to explore these strategies. The expeditionary missions include the Human Expedition to Phobos and Human Expedition to Mars case studies. The Lunar Observatory and Lunar Outpost to Early Mars Evolution case studies examined the later two strategies. This set of case studies established the framework to perform detailed mission analysis and system engineering to define a host of concepts and requirements for various space systems and advanced technologies. The details of each mission are described and, specifically, the results affecting the advanced technologies required to accomplish each mission scenario are presented.
Marinković, Natalija; Pašalić, Daria; Ferenčak, Goran; Gršković, Branka; Stavljenić Rukavina, Ana
The term dioxins usually refers to polychlorinated dibenzo-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). As 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) has the highest toxic potential, the toxic potentials of other PCDDs and PCDFs are defined in comparison with it. Human exposure to dioxins can be environmental (background), occupational, or accidental pollution. In the human body, dioxins are in part metabolised and eliminated, and the rest is stored in body fat. People vary in their capacity to eliminate TCDD, but it is also dose-dependent; the elimination rate is much faster at higher than lower levels. The liver microsomal P4501A1 enzyme oxygenates lipophilic chemicals such as dioxins. It is encoded by the CYP1A1 gene. Cytosolic aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) mediates their carcinogenic action. It binds to dioxin, translocates to nucleus and together with hydrocarbon nuclear translocator (ARNT) and xenobiotic responsive element (XRE) increases the expression of CYP1A1.Dioxins are classified as known human carcinogens, but they also cause noncancerous effects like atherosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes. Long-term exposures to dioxins cause disruption of the nervous, immune, reproductive, and endocrine system. Short-term exposure to high levels impairs the liver function and causes chloracne. The most sensitive population to dioxin exposure are the foetuses and infants.A large number of health effects have been documented in the scientific literature, and they all place dioxins among the most toxic chemicals known to man. PMID:21183436
Lienhart, Wolf-Dieter; Gudipati, Venugopal; Macheroux, Peter
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is an essential dietary compound used for the enzymatic biosynthesis of FMN and FAD. The human genome contains 90 genes encoding for flavin-dependent proteins, six for riboflavin uptake and transformation into the active coenzymes FMN and FAD as well as two for the reduction to the dihydroflavin form. Flavoproteins utilize either FMN (16%) or FAD (84%) while five human flavoenzymes have a requirement for both FMN and FAD. The majority of flavin-dependent enzymes catalyze oxidation–reduction processes in primary metabolic pathways such as the citric acid cycle, β-oxidation and degradation of amino acids. Ten flavoproteins occur as isozymes and assume special functions in the human organism. Two thirds of flavin-dependent proteins are associated with disorders caused by allelic variants affecting protein function. Flavin-dependent proteins also play an important role in the biosynthesis of other essential cofactors and hormones such as coenzyme A, coenzyme Q, heme, pyridoxal 5′-phosphate, steroids and thyroxine. Moreover, they are important for the regulation of folate metabolites by using tetrahydrofolate as cosubstrate in choline degradation, reduction of N-5.10-methylenetetrahydrofolate to N-5-methyltetrahydrofolate and maintenance of the catalytically competent form of methionine synthase. These flavoenzymes are discussed in detail to highlight their role in health and disease. PMID:23500531
Human metapneumovirus in adults.
Haas, Lenneke E M; Thijsen, Steven F T; van Elden, Leontine; Heemstra, Karen A
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a relative newly described virus. It was first isolated in 2001 and currently appears to be one of the most significant and common human viral infections. Retrospective serologic studies demonstrated the presence of HMPV antibodies in humans more than 50 years earlier. Although the virus was primarily known as causative agent of respiratory tract infections in children, HMPV is an important cause of respiratory infections in adults as well. Almost all children are infected by HMPV below the age of five; the repeated infections throughout life indicate transient immunity. HMPV infections usually are mild and self-limiting, but in the frail elderly and the immunocompromised patients, the clinical course can be complicated. Since culturing the virus is relatively difficult, diagnosis is mostly based on a nucleic acid amplification test, such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. To date, no vaccine is available and treatment is supportive. However, ongoing research shows encouraging results. The aim of this paper is to review the current literature concerning HMPV infections in adults, and discuss recent development in treatment and vaccination. PMID:23299785
Human Metapneumovirus in Adults
Haas, Lenneke E. M.; Thijsen, Steven F. T.; van Elden, Leontine; Heemstra, Karen A.
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a relative newly described virus. It was first isolated in 2001 and currently appears to be one of the most significant and common human viral infections. Retrospective serologic studies demonstrated the presence of HMPV antibodies in humans more than 50 years earlier. Although the virus was primarily known as causative agent of respiratory tract infections in children, HMPV is an important cause of respiratory infections in adults as well. Almost all children are infected by HMPV below the age of five; the repeated infections throughout life indicate transient immunity. HMPV infections usually are mild and self-limiting, but in the frail elderly and the immunocompromised patients, the clinical course can be complicated. Since culturing the virus is relatively difficult, diagnosis is mostly based on a nucleic acid amplification test, such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. To date, no vaccine is available and treatment is supportive. However, ongoing research shows encouraging results. The aim of this paper is to review the current literature concerning HMPV infections in adults, and discuss recent development in treatment and vaccination. PMID:23299785
Cox, F. E. G.
Humans are hosts to nearly 300 species of parasitic worms and over 70 species of protozoa, some derived from our primate ancestors and some acquired from the animals we have domesticated or come in contact with during our relatively short history on Earth. Our knowledge of parasitic infections extends into antiquity, and descriptions of parasites and parasitic infections are found in the earliest writings and have been confirmed by the finding of parasites in archaeological material. The systematic study of parasites began with the rejection of the theory of spontaneous generation and the promulgation of the germ theory. Thereafter, the history of human parasitology proceeded along two lines, the discovery of a parasite and its subsequent association with disease and the recognition of a disease and the subsequent discovery that it was caused by a parasite. This review is concerned with the major helminth and protozoan infections of humans: ascariasis, trichinosis, strongyloidiasis, dracunculiasis, lymphatic filariasis, loasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, cestodiasis, paragonimiasis, clonorchiasis, opisthorchiasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, African trypanosomiasis, South American trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, cyclosporiasis, and microsporidiosis. PMID:12364371
Oxytocin promotes human ethnocentrism.
De Dreu, Carsten K W; Greer, Lindred L; Van Kleef, Gerben A; Shalvi, Shaul; Handgraaf, Michel J J
Human ethnocentrism--the tendency to view one's group as centrally important and superior to other groups--creates intergroup bias that fuels prejudice, xenophobia, and intergroup violence. Grounded in the idea that ethnocentrism also facilitates within-group trust, cooperation, and coordination, we conjecture that ethnocentrism may be modulated by brain oxytocin, a peptide shown to promote cooperation among in-group members. In double-blind, placebo-controlled designs, males self-administered oxytocin or placebo and privately performed computer-guided tasks to gauge different manifestations of ethnocentric in-group favoritism as well as out-group derogation. Experiments 1 and 2 used the Implicit Association Test to assess in-group favoritism and out-group derogation. Experiment 3 used the infrahumanization task to assess the extent to which humans ascribe secondary, uniquely human emotions to their in-group and to an out-group. Experiments 4 and 5 confronted participants with the option to save the life of a larger collective by sacrificing one individual, nominated as in-group or as out-group. Results show that oxytocin creates intergroup bias because oxytocin motivates in-group favoritism and, to a lesser extent, out-group derogation. These findings call into question the view of oxytocin as an indiscriminate "love drug" or "cuddle chemical" and suggest that oxytocin has a role in the emergence of intergroup conflict and violence. PMID:21220339
Computing human image annotation.
Channin, David S; Mongkolwat, Pattanasak; Kleper, Vladimir; Rubin, Daniel L
An image annotation is the explanatory or descriptive information about the pixel data of an image that is generated by a human (or machine) observer. An image markup is the graphical symbols placed over the image to depict an annotation. In the majority of current, clinical and research imaging practice, markup is captured in proprietary formats and annotations are referenced only in free text radiology reports. This makes these annotations difficult to query, retrieve and compute upon, hampering their integration into other data mining and analysis efforts. This paper describes the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid's (caBIG) Annotation and Image Markup (AIM) project, focusing on how to use AIM to query for annotations. The AIM project delivers an information model for image annotation and markup. The model uses controlled terminologies for important concepts. All of the classes and attributes of the model have been harmonized with the other models and common data elements in use at the National Cancer Institute. The project also delivers XML schemata necessary to instantiate AIMs in XML as well as a software application for translating AIM XML into DICOM S/R and HL7 CDA. Large collections of AIM annotations can be built and then queried as Grid or Web services. Using the tools of the AIM project, image annotations and their markup can be captured and stored in human and machine readable formats. This enables the inclusion of human image observation and inference as part of larger data mining and analysis activities. PMID:19964202
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cashman, K. V.; Giordano, G.
The study of volcanic hazards leads inevitably to questions of how past cultures have lived in volcanically active regions of the world. Here we summarize linkages between volcanological, archaeological and anthropological studies of historic and prehistoric volcanic eruptions, with the goal of evaluating the impact of past eruptions on human populations to better prepare for future events. We use examples from papers collected in this volume to illustrate ways in which volcanological studies aid archaeological investigations by providing basic stratigraphic markers and information about the nature and timing of specific volcanic events. We then turn to archaeological perspectives, which provide physical evidence of the direct impacts of volcanic eruptions, such as site abandonment and human migration, as well as indirect impacts on local cultures as reflected in human artifacts. Finally we review anthropological studies of societal responses to past and recent volcanic eruptions. We pay particular attention to both the psychological impact of catastrophic events and records of these impacts encoded within oral traditions. Taken together these studies record drastic short-term eruption impacts but adaptation to volcanic activity over the longer term, largely through strategies of adaptive land use.
Neafie, R C; Marty, A M
Nine cases of unusual infections in humans are presented. In each case, we present the clinical history, histopathologic changes (if indicated), morphologic features of the causative organism, diagnosis, discussion, differential diagnosis, therapy, and current literature. All of the cases are illustrated with pertinent photographs. The nine cases are as follows: (i) acanthocephaliasis, the first acquired human infection by Moniliformis moniliformis in the United States; (ii) dipylidiasis, an uncommon infection caused by the dog tapeworm, Dipylidium caninum; (iii) granulomatous amebic encephalitis, caused by the recently identified leptomyxid group of amebae; (iv) schistosomiasis, a dual infection of the urinary bladder with the rare presentation of both adult worms and eggs of Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni in tissue sections; (v) syphilitic gastritis, an uncommon presentation of Treponema pallidum infection, in a patient with an additional incidental infection by Helicobacter pylori; (vi) microsporidiosis, the only infection caused by a Pleistophora sp. in humans; (vii) sporotrichosis, a rare disseminated infection caused by Sporothrix schenckii with numerous yeast cells in the scrotum; (viii) angiostrongyliasis, the first and only infection caused by Angiostrongylus costaricensis acquired in either Puerto Rico or the United States; and (ix) botryomycosis of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, caused by gram-positive cocci with an unusually large number of granules. Images PMID:8457979
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cooper, Leon N.
Part I. Science and Society: 1. Science and human experience; 2. Does science undermine our values?; 3. Can science serve mankind?; 4. Modern science and contemporary discomfort: metaphor and reality; 5. Faith and science; 6. Art and science; 7. Fraud in science; 8. Why study science? The keys to the cathedral; 9. Is evolution a theory? A modest proposal; 10. The silence of the second; 11. Introduction to Copenhagen; 12. The unpaid debt; Part II. Thought and Consciousness: 13. Source and limits of human intellect; 14. Neural networks; 15. Thought and mental experience: the Turing test; 16. Mind as machine: will we rubbish human experience?; 17. Memory and memories: a physicist's approach to the brain; 18. On the problem of consciousness; Part III. On the Nature and Limits of Science: 19. What is a good theory?; 20. Shall we deconstruct science?; 21. Visible and invisible in physical theory; 22. Experience and order; 23. The language of physics; 24. The structure of space; 25. Superconductivity and other insoluble problems; 26. From gravity to light and consciousness: does science have limits?
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Cooper, Leon N.
Part I. Science and Society: 1. Science and human experience; 2. Does science undermine our values?; 3. Can science serve mankind?; 4. Modern science and contemporary discomfort: metaphor and reality; 5. Faith and science; 6. Art and science; 7. Fraud in science; 8. Why study science? The keys to the cathedral; 9. Is evolution a theory? A modest proposal; 10. The silence of the second; 11. Introduction to Copenhagen; 12. The unpaid debt; Part II. Thought and Consciousness: 13. Source and limits of human intellect; 14. Neural networks; 15. Thought and mental experience: the Turing test; 16. Mind as machine: will we rubbish human experience?; 17. Memory and memories: a physicist's approach to the brain; 18. On the problem of consciousness; Part III. On the Nature and Limits of Science: 19. What is a good theory?; 20. Shall we deconstruct science?; 21. Visible and invisible in physical theory; 22. Experience and order; 23. The language of physics; 24. The structure of space; 25. Superconductivity and other insoluble problems; 26. From gravity to light and consciousness: does science have limits?
Kvenvolden, K.A.
The potential effects of naturally occurring gas hydrate on humans are not understood with certainty, but enough information has been acquired over the past 30 years to make preliminary assessments possible. Three major issues are gas hydrate as (1) a potential energy resource, (2) a factor in global climate change, and (3) a submarine geohazard. The methane content is estimated to be between 1015 to 1017 m3 at STP and the worldwide distribution in outer continental margins of oceans and in polar regions are significant features of gas hydrate. However, its immediate development as an energy resource is not likely because there are various geological constraints and difficult technological problems that must be solved before economic recovery of methane from hydrate can be achieved. The role of gas hydrate in global climate change is uncertain. For hydrate methane to be an effective greenhouse gas, it must reach the atmosphere. Yet there are many obstacles to the transfer of methane from hydrate to the atmosphere. Rates of gas hydrate dissociation and the integrated rates of release and destruction of the methane in the geo/hydro/atmosphere are not adequately understood. Gas hydrate as a submarine geohazard, however, is of immediate and increasing importance to humans as our industrial society moves to exploit seabed resources at ever-greater depths in the waters of our coastal oceans. Human activities and installations in regions of gas-hydrate occurrence must take into account the presence of gas hydrate and deal with the consequences of its presence.
O'Hare, Esther Marie; Wood, Angela; Fiske, Elizabeth
Forms of human milk banking and donation have been present for more than a century worldwide, but, since 1985, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HM BANA) has established guidelines to make the use of donor's breast milk safe and the second best form of feeding to maternal breast milk for a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) infant. The Indiana Mother's Human Milk Bank provides an extensive and meticulous process of selecting breast milk donors. The process begins with a phone interview with a potential donor and includes the review of the donor's medical records, blood laboratory screening, medication and dietary intake, as well as consent from the donor's pediatrician. The milk bank follows steps of collecting, storing, and receiving the breast milk in accordance with the guidelines of the HM BANA. Pasteurization is the method used to ensure the proper heating and cooling of breast milk. Despite the rigorous pasteurization method, the donor's breast milk will not lose most of the important beneficial components needed for sick or ill NICU infants. Every batch of pasteurized breast milk will be cultured for any possible contamination and shipped to NICUs after it has been cleared by laboratory testing. PMID:23666187
Human cryptosporidiosis in Europe.
Cacciò, S M; Chalmers, R M
Cryptosporidium has emerged as a significant cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide, with severe health consequences for very young, malnourished children living in endemic areas and for individuals with highly impaired T-cell functions. In Europe, as elsewhere, the burden of disease has been difficult to measure as a result of the lack of appropriate, standardized surveillance and monitoring systems. The recent occurrence of large water- and foodborne outbreaks in several EU countries, as well as the results of many surveys of human and animal cryptosporidiosis, indicate that this parasite is widespread. Specific subtypes of the zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum and the anthroponotic C. hominis are responsible for the majority of human cases in Europe. No treatment is currently available to clear the infection, but recent progress in genetic engineering of the parasite, coupled with advances in genomics, have opened important avenues for future research. Here we explore the possible reasons for underascertainment of cryptosporidiosis and the importance of accurate diagnosis in clinical management, the epidemiology of human cryptosporidiosis and key messages from recent outbreaks to highlight important interventions and emerging public health issues. PMID:27172805
Cantor, Charles R.
The following pages aim to lay a foundation for understanding the excitement surrounding the ''human genome project,'' as well as to convey a flavor of the ongoing efforts and plans at the Human Genome Center at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. Our own work, of course, is only part of a broad international effort that will dramatically enhance our understanding of human molecular genetics before the end of this century. In this country, the bulk of the effort will be carried out under the auspices of the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, but significant contributions have already been made both by nonprofit private foundations and by private corporation. The respective roles of the DOE and the NIH are being coordinated by an inter-agency committee, the aims of which are to emphasize the strengths of each agency, to facilitate cooperation, and to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. The NIH, for example, will continue its crucial work in medical genetics and in mapping the genomes of nonhuman species. The DOE, on the other hand, has unique experience in managing large projects, and its national laboratories are repositories of expertise in physics, engineering, and computer science, as well as the life sciences. The tools and techniques the project will ultimately rely on are thus likely to be developed in multidisciplinary efforts at laboratories like LBL. Accordingly, we at LBL take great pride in this enterprise -- an enterprise that will eventually transform our understanding of ourselves.
Human Provenancing: It's Elemental…
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Meier-Augenstein, Wolfram; Kemp
Forensic science already uses a variety of methods often in combination to determine a deceased person's identity if neither personal effects nor next of kin (or close friends) can positively identify the victim. While disciplines such as forensic anthropology are able to work from a blank canvass as it were and can provide information on age, gender and ethnical grouping, techniques such as DNA profiling do rely on finding a match either in a database or a comparative sample presumed to be an ante-mortem sample of the victim or from a putative relation. Chances for either to succeed would be greatly enhanced if information gained from a forensic anthropological examination and, circumstances permitting a facial reconstruction could be linked to another technique that can work from a blank canvass or at least does not require comparison to a subject specific database. With the help of isotope ratio mass spectrometry even the very atoms from which a body is made can be used to say something about a person that will help to focus human identification using traditional techniques such as DNA, fingerprints and odontology. Stable isotope fingerprinting works on the basis that almost all chemical elements and in particular the so-called light elements such as carbon (C) that comprise most of the human body occur naturally in different forms, namely isotopes. 2H isotope abundance values recorded by the human body through food and drink ultimately reflect averaged isotopic composition of precipitation or ground water. Stable isotope analysis of 2H isotopic composition in different human tissue such as hair, nails, bone and teeth enables us to construct a time resolved isotopic profile or 'fingerprint' that may not necessarily permit direct identification of a murder victim or mass disaster victim but in conjunction with forensic anthropological information will provide sufficient intelligence to construct a profile for intelligence lead identification stating where a
Human Factors In Aircraft Automation
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Billings, Charles
Report presents survey of state of art in human factors in automation of aircraft operation. Presents examination of aircraft automation and effects on flight crews in relation to human error and aircraft accidents.
Administrative Aspects of Human Experimentation.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Irvine, George W.
The following administrative aspects of scientific experimentation with human subjects are discussed: the definition of human experimentation; the distinction between experimentation and treatment; investigator responsibility; documentation; the elements and principles of informed consent; and the administrator's role in establishing and…
Humane Education: A Curriculum Approach.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Pearce, Robert W.
Describes a curriculum-based approach to humane education and addresses the role of humane education in the school curriculum as well as the relationship's of education to other facets of animal welfare work. (Author/DS)
Oceans and Human Health Center
ocean and human health science can help prevent disease outbreaks and improve public health through a deeper understanding of the causes ... our Center and the field of oceans and human health science. More Research Learn about the research ...
About Human Parainfluenza Viruses (HPIVs)
... Overview Laboratory Diagnosis HPIV Seasons Resources & References About Human Parainfluenza Viruses (HPIVs) Recommend on Facebook Tweet Share ... 6348 Email CDC-INFO U.S. Department of Health & Human Services HHS/Open USA.gov Top
Endogenous Retroviruses and Human Evolution
Lebedev, Yuri; Sverdlov, Eugene
Humans share about 99% of their genomic DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos; thus, the differences between these species are unlikely to be in gene content but could be caused by inherited changes in regulatory systems. Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) comprise ∼ 5% of the human genome. The LTRs of ERVs contain many regulatory sequences, such as promoters, enhancers, polyadenylation signals and factor-binding sites. Thus, they can influence the expression of nearby human genes. All known human-specific LTRs belong to the HERV-K (human ERV) family, the most active family in the human genome. It is likely that some of these ERVs could have integrated into regulatory regions of the human genome, and therefore could have had an impact on the expression of adjacent genes, which have consequently contributed to human evolution. This review discusses possible functional consequences of ERV integration in active coding regions. PMID:18629260
American Society of Human Genetics
... Research Awards August 9, 2016 Media Advisory: American Society of Human Genetics 2016 Annual Meeting July 26, ... McKusick Leadership Award June 30, 2016 The American Society of Human Genetics, Incorporated 9650 Rockville Pike • Bethesda, ...
Human Research Program (HRP) Overview
The Human Research Program (HRP) is a major part of the Space Life and Physical Sciences Research and Applications Division within the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD). ...
The Human Exposure and Atmospheric Sciences Division (HEASD) of the National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) conducts research on exposure measurements, human activity patterns, exposure and dose models, and cumulative exposures critical for the Agency to make scientificall...
Fire Control and Human Evolution.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Russell, Claire
Briefly outlines some aspects of the discovery of fire control by primitive people, such as the preadaptation for speech, the evolution of the human brain, and natural selection for human nakedness or loss of hair. (CS)
Syncytin-A and syncytin-B, two fusogenic placenta-specific murine envelope genes of retroviral origin conserved in Muridae
Dupressoir, Anne; Marceau, Geoffroy; Vernochet, Cécile; Bénit, Laurence; Kanellopoulos, Colette; Sapin, Vincent; Heidmann, Thierry
Recently, we and others have identified two human endogenous retroviruses that entered the primate lineage 25–40 million years ago and that encode highly fusogenic retroviral envelope proteins (syncytin-1 and -2), possibly involved in the formation of the placenta syncytiotrophoblast layer generated by trophoblast cell fusion at the materno–fetal interface. A systematic in silico search throughout mouse genome databases presently identifies two fully coding envelope genes, present as unique copies and unrelated to any known murine endogenous retrovirus, that we named syncytin-A and -B. Quantitative RT-PCR demonstrates placenta-specific expression for both genes, with increasing transcript levels in this organ from 9.5 to 14.5 days postcoitum. In situ hybridization of placenta cryosections further localizes these transcripts in the syncytiotrophoblast-containing labyrinthine zona. Consistently, we show that both genes can trigger cell–cell fusion in ex vivo transfection assays, with distinct cell type specificities suggesting different receptor usage. Genes orthologous to syncytin-A and -B and disclosing a striking conservation of their coding status are found in all Muridae tested (mouse, rat, gerbil, vole, and hamster), dating their entry into the rodent lineage ≈20 million years ago. Together, these data strongly argue for a critical role of syncytin-A and -B in murine syncytiotrophoblast formation, thus unraveling a rather unique situation where two pairs of endogenous retroviruses, independently acquired by the primate and rodent lineages, would have been positively selected for a convergent physiological role. PMID:15644441
Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bloom, Mark V.; Cutter, Mary Ann; Davidson, Ronald; Dougherty, Michael J.; Drexler, Edward; Gelernter, Joel; McCullough, Laurence B.; McInerney, Joseph D.; Murray, Jeffrey C.; Vogler, George P.; Zola, John
This curriculum module explores genes, environment, and human behavior. This book provides materials to teach about the nature and methods of studying human behavior, raise some of the ethical and public policy dilemmas emerging from the Human Genome Project, and provide professional development for teachers. An extensive Teacher Background…
The Humanities at Triton College.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Jacot, Robert E.; Prendergast, Nancy E.
Designed to assist college personnel in assessing program needs, this report provides an overview of the humanities programs at Triton College. Part I focuses on curricular humanities programs, including discussions of the role and objectives of the School of Arts and Sciences; humanities courses offered in the school; special humanities…
Leadership in a Humane Organization
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Dimitrov, Danielle
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the way leadership influences an organization to become humane through its features and behaviors; as well as the organizational circumstances in which humane leadership can be nurtured. The first empirical case study, in the fields of Human Resource Development (HRD) and hospitality management, to…
Making Human Resource Consulting Visible.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Kaufmann, Ken; Weaver, Carol L.
Discusses the need for human resources consulting to be seen and understood in order to help achieve business objectives. Presents a model that uses core competencies to tie human resources programs to business strategies, thus positioning human resources as a strategic partner in an enterprise. (LRW)
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Raymond, James C., Ed.
First presented as papers in a symposium on literacy conducted at the University of Alabama, essays in this volume explore three areas of human literacy--law, linguistics, and the English language; testing; and literacy's relation with culture and human consciousness. Following an introduction examining literacy as a human problem, the following…
Gender Aspects of Human Security
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Moussa, Ghada
The chapter deals with the gender dimensions in human security through focusing on the relationship between gender and human security, first manifested in international declarations and conventions, and subsequently evolving in world women conferences. It aims at analysing the various gender aspects in its relation to different human security…
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Brockett, Charles
To establish an objective conception of human rights, one must first identify basic needs intrinsic to all people and then determine whether these needs are or can be hierarchically ordered. Many scholars have conducted research on the concept of human needs, particularly in the area of human rights. Among these scholars are Abraham H. Maslow…
Human Rights and Public Education
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Bowring, Bill
This article attempts a contrast to the contribution by Hugh Starkey. Rather than his account of the inexorable rise of human rights discourse, and of the implementation of human rights standards, human rights are here presented as always and necessarily scandalous and highly contested. First, I explain why the UK has lagged so far behind its…
Community College Humanities Review, 1999.
ERIC Educational Resources Information Center
Scheper, George L., Ed.
This special issue of the Community College Humanities Review contains articles generated by National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institutes, held over several years. The institutes provided opportunities for academics from a variety of humanities disciplines and types of institutions to interact over an extended period of common study of…
NASA Space Human Factors Program
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
This booklet briefly and succinctly treats 23 topics of particular interest to the NASA Space Human Factors Program. Most articles are by different authors who are mainly NASA Johnson or NASA Ames personnel. Representative topics covered include mental workload and performance in space, light effects on Circadian rhythms, human sleep, human reasoning, microgravity effects and automation and crew performance.
Expression of GALNT2 in human extravillous trophoblasts and its suppressive role in trophoblast invasion.
Liao, W-C; Chen, C-H; Liu, C-H; Huang, M-J; Chen, C-W; Hung, J-S; Chou, C-H; Chen, C-H; Che, M-I; Chang, H-M; Lan, C-T; Huang, H-C; Tseng, G-F; Shyu, M-K; Huang, M-C
Extravillus trophoblast (EVT) invasion plays a critical role in placental development. Integrins bind to extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to mediate EVT cell adhesion, migration, and invasion. Changes in O-glycans on β1-integrin have been found to regulate cancer cell behavior. We hypothesize that O-glycosyltransferases can regulate EVT invasion through modulating the glycosylation and function of β1-integrin. Here, we found that the GALNT1 and GALNT2 mRNA were highly expressed in HTR8/SVneo and first trimester EVT cells. Immunohistochemstry and immunofluorescence staining showed that GALNT2 was expressed in subpopulations of EVT cells in deciduas, but not in syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts of placental villi. The percentage of GALNT2-positive EVT cells increased with gestational ages. Overexpression of GALNT2 in HTR8/SVneo cells significantly enhanced cell-collagen IV adhesion, but suppressed cell migration and invasion. Notably, we found that GALNT2 increased the expression of Tn antigen (GalNAc-Ser/Thr) on β1-integrin as revealed by Vicia Villosa agglutinin (VVA) binding. Furthermore, GALNT2 suppressed the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a crucial downstream signaling molecule of β1-integrin. Our findings suggest that GALNT2 is a critical initiating enzyme of O-glycosylation for regulating EVT invasion. PMID:23117232
Generation of improved humanized mouse models for human infectious diseases
Brehm, Michael A.; Wiles, Michael V.; Greiner, Dale L.; Shultz, Leonard D.
The study of human-specific infectious agents has been hindered by the lack of optimal small animal models. More recently development of novel strains of immunodeficient mice has begun to provide the opportunity to utilize small animal models for the study of many human-specific infectious agents. The introduction of a targeted mutation in the IL2 receptor common gamma chain gene (IL2rgnull) in mice already deficient in T and B cells led to a breakthrough in the ability to engraft hematopoietic stem cells, as well as functional human lymphoid cells and tissues, effectively creating human immune systems in immunodeficient mice. These humanized mice are becoming increasingly important as pre-clinical models for the study of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and other human-specific infectious agents. However, there remain a number of opportunities to further improve humanized mouse models for the study of human-specific infectious agents. This is being done by the implementation of innovative technologies, which collectively will accelerate the development of new models of genetically modified mice, including; i) modifications of the host to reduce innate immunity, which impedes human cell engraftment; ii) genetic modification to provide human-specific growth factors and cytokines required for optimal human cell growth and function; iii) and new cell and tissue engraftment protocols. The development of "next generation" humanized mouse models continues to provide exciting opportunities for the establishment of robust small animal models to study the pathogenesis of human-specific infectious agents, as well as for testing the efficacy of therapeutic agents and experimental vaccines. PMID:24607601
Human microsporidial infections.
Weber, R; Bryan, R T; Schwartz, D A; Owen, R L
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular spore-forming protozoal parasites belonging to the phylum Microspora. Their host range is extensive, including most invertebrates and all classes of vertebrates. More than 100 microsporidial genera and almost 1,000 species have now been identified. Five genera (Enterocytozoon spp., Encephalitozoon spp., Septata spp., Pleistophora sp., and Nosema spp.) and unclassified microsporidia (referred to by the collective term Microsporidium) have been associated with human disease, which appears to manifest primarily in immunocompromised persons. The clinical manifestations of microsporidiosis are diverse and include intestinal, pulmonary, ocular, muscular, and renal disease. Among persons not infected with human immunodeficiency virus, ten cases of microsporidiosis have been documented. In human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients, on the other hand, over 400 cases of microsporidiosis have been identified, the majority attributed to Enterocytozoon bieneusi, an important cause of chronic diarrhea and wasting. Diagnosis of microsporidiosis currently depends on morphological demonstration of the organisms themselves. Initial detection of microsporidia by light microscopic examination of tissue sections and of more readily obtainable specimens such as stool, duodenal aspirates, urine, sputum, nasal discharge, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and conjunctival smears is now becoming routine practice. Definitive species identification is made by using the specific fluorescein-tagged antibody (immunofluorescence) technique or electron microscopy. Treatment options are limited, but symptomatic improvement of Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection may be achieved with the anthelmintic-antiprotozoal drug albendazole. Preliminary observations suggest that Septata intestinalis and Encephalitozoon infections may be cured with albendazole. Progress is being made with respect to in vitro propagation of microsporidia, which is crucial for developing
Harding, David; Rouse, Ted
Most companies do a thorough job of financial due diligence when they acquire other companies. But all too often, deal makers simply ignore or underestimate the significance of people issues in mergers and acquisitions. The consequences are severe. Most obviously, there's a high degree of talent loss after a deal's announcement. To make matters worse, differences in decision-making styles lead to infighting; integration stalls; and productivity declines. The good news is that human due diligence can help companies avoid these problems. Done early enough, it helps acquirers decide whether to embrace or kill a deal and determine the price they are willing to pay. It also lays the groundwork for smooth integration. When acquirers have done their homework, they can uncover capability gaps, points of friction, and differences in decision making. Even more important, they can make the critical "people" decisions-who stays, who goes, who runs the combined business, what to do with the rank and file-at the time the deal is announced or shortly thereafter. Making such decisions within the first 30 days is critical to the success of a deal. Hostile situations clearly make things more difficult, but companies can and must still do a certain amount of human due diligence to reduce the inevitable fallout from the acquisition process and smooth the integration. This article details the steps involved in conducting human due diligence. The approach is structured around answering five basic questions: Who is the cultural acquirer? What kind of organization do you want? Will the two cultures mesh? Who are the people you most want to retain? And how will rank-and-file employees react to the deal? Unless an acquiring company has answered these questions to its satisfaction, the acquisition it is making will be very likely to end badly. PMID:17432159
Morbilliviruses and human disease.
Rima, Bertus K; Duprex, W Paul
Morbilliviruses are a group of viruses that belong to the family Paramyxoviridae. The most instantly recognizable member is measles virus (MV) and individuals acutely infected with the virus exhibit a wide range of clinical symptoms ranging from a characteristic mild self-limiting infection to death. Canine distemper virus (CDV) and rinderpest virus (RPV) cause a similar but distinctive pathology in dogs and cattle, respectively, and these, alongside experimental MV infection of primates, have been useful models for MV pathogenesis. Traditionally, viruses were identified because a distinctive disease was observed in man or animals; an infectious agent was subsequently isolated, cultured, and this could be used to recapitulate the disease in an experimentally infected host. Thus, satisfying Koch's postulates has been the norm. More recently, particularly due to the advent of exceedingly sensitive molecular biological assays, many researchers have looked for infectious agents in disease conditions for which a viral aetiology has not been previously established. For these cases, the modified Koch's postulates of Bradford Hill have been developed as criteria to link a virus to a specific disease. Only in a few cases have these conditions been fulfilled. Therefore, many viruses have over the years been definitely and tentatively linked to human diseases and in this respect the morbilliviruses are no different. In this review, human diseases associated with morbillivirus infection have been grouped into three broad categories: (1) those which are definitely caused by the infection; (2) those which may be exacerbated or facilitated by an infection; and (3) those which currently have limited, weak, unsubstantiated or no credible scientific evidence to support any link to a morbillivirus. Thus, an attempt has been made to clarify the published data and separate human diseases actually linked to morbilliviruses from those that are merely anecdotally associated. PMID:16362981
Evans, G.W. Jacobs, S.V.; Frager, N.B.
This study examined the health effects of human adaptation to photochemical smog. A group of recent arrivals to the Los Angeles air basin were compared to long-term residents of the basin. Evidence for adaptation included greater irritation and respiratory problems among the recent arrivals and desensitization among the long-term residents in their judgments of the severity of the smog problem to their health. There was no evidence for biochemical adaptation as measured by hemoglobin response to oxidant challenge. The results were discussed in terms of psychological adaption to chronic environmental stressors.
Human portable preconcentrator system
Linker, Kevin L.; Bouchier, Francis A.; Hannum, David W.; Rhykerd, Jr., Charles L.
A preconcentrator system and apparatus suited to human portable use wherein sample potentially containing a target chemical substance is drawn into a chamber and through a pervious screen. The screen is adapted to capture target chemicals and then, upon heating, to release those chemicals into the chamber. Chemicals captured and then released in this fashion are then carried to a portable chemical detection device such as a portable ion mobility spectrometer. In the preferred embodiment, the means for drawing sample into the chamber comprises a reversible fan which, when operated in reverse direction, creates a backpressure that facilitates evolution of captured target chemicals into the chamber when the screen is heated.
[Human castration: historical notes].
Serarcangeli, C; Rispoli, G
Human castration has been performed from early times for different reasons: to punish and revenge, to display one's religious fanaticism, to protect or to control women, for eunuchs' trade, for therapeutical purposes. In early modern times men were castrated to obtain sopranos voices, or for eugenic or racial reasons. Nowadays chemical castration is used as a therapeutic treatment or as a way to punish rape and other criminal behaviours. Castration is surgical or chemical act that may obviously cause serious physical and psychological consequences. PMID:12375586
Human Outreach through Physics
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Kant Shukla, Padma
In this talk unique methods for human outreach through physics are described. The focus is on identifying young talented researchers and colleagues around the globe and nourish them for the purpose of diffusing physics knowledge. The goal can be achieved through the organization of international conferences, workshops, seminars, and colleagues, at different locations, invite young and experienced researchers to those meetings, invite them to your home institution, in addition to visiting their universities/laboratories for mentoring and exchanging physics knowledge. The scientific part shall deal with collective processes and coherent nonlinear effects in space and laboratory plasmas.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Prevention.
Davis, Teaniese Latham; DiClemente, Ralph
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS. Surveillance data from 2012 indicate an estimated 1.2 million people aged 13 years and older were living with HIV infection in the United States, and 12.8% do not know their status. There are approximately 50,000 new HIV infections annually. With no available cure for HIV, primary prevention to reduce incident cases of HIV is essential. Strategies to prevent HIV transmission include reducing sexual risk behavior and needle sharing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has multiple resources available for primary and secondary prevention to reduce disease transmission and severity. PMID:26980130
Book Review: Human Radiosensitivity
Morgan, William F.
This well written report reviews the evidence for variation in human sensitivity to ionizing radiation from epidemiological, clinical, animal, and experimental studies. The report also considers the mechanism(s) of radiation sensitivity and the ethical implications of current and potential knowledge that might be gained in the future. The report is concisely written, considers a large number of historical as well as recent studies, and features a ' bullet like ' summary at the end of each chapter that captures the salient points.
Not Available
The DOE Human Genome program has grown tremendously, as shown by the marked increase in the number of genome-funded projects since the last workshop held in 1991. The abstracts in this book describe the genome research of DOE-funded grantees and contractors and invited guests, and all projects are represented at the workshop by posters. The 3-day meeting includes plenary sessions on ethical, legal, and social issues pertaining to the availability of genetic data; sequencing techniques, informatics support; and chromosome and cDNA mapping and sequencing.
Burns, Kathleen H.; Boeke, Jef D.
Mobile DNAs have had a central role in shaping our genome. More than half of our DNA is comprised of interspersed repeats resulting from replicative copy and paste events of retrotransposons. Although most are fixed, incapable of templating new copies, there are important exceptions to retrotransposon quiescence. De novo insertions cause genetic diseases and cancers, though reliably detecting these occurrences has been difficult. New technologies aimed at uncovering polymorphic insertions reveal that mobile DNAs provide a substantial and dynamic source of structural variation. Key questions going forward include the how and how much new transposition events affect human health and disease. PMID:22579280
William R. Hamel; Spivey Douglass; Sewoong Kim; Pamela Murray; Yang Shou; Sriram Sridharan; Ge Zhang; Scott Thayer; Rajiv V. Dubey
The remediation and deactivation and decommissioning (D&D) of nuclear waste storage tanks using telerobotics is one of the most challenging tasks faced in environmental cleanup. Since a number of tanks have reached the end of their design life and some of them have leaks, the unstructured, uncertain and radioactive environment makes the work inefficient and expensive. However, the execution time of teleoperation consumes ten to hundred times that of direct contact with an associated loss in quality. Thus, a considerable effort has been expended to improve the quality and efficiency of telerobotics by incorporating into teleoperation and robotic control functions such as planning, trajectory generation, vision, and 3-D modeling. One example is the Robot Task Space Analyzer (RTSA), which has been developed at the Robotics and Electromechanical Systems Laboratory (REMSL) at the University of Tennessee in support of the D&D robotic work at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory. This system builds 3-D models of the area of interest in task space through automatic image processing and/or human interactive manual modeling. The RTSA generates a task plan file, which describes the execution of a task including manipulator and tooling motions. The high level controller of the manipulator interprets the task plan file and executes the task automatically. Thus, if the environment is not highly unstructured, a tooling task, which interacts with environment, will be executed in the autonomous mode. Therefore, the RTSA not only increases the system efficiency, but also improves the system reliability because the operator will act as backstop for safe operation after the 3-D models and task plan files are generated. However, unstructured conditions of environment and tasks necessitate that the telerobot operates in the teleoperation mode for successful execution of task. The inefficiency in the teleoperation mode led to the research
Nongenital human papillomavirus disease.
Mayeaux, E J; Khan, Michelle J
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common viral cause of cancer, and is responsible for 5% of cancers worldwide. Following demonstration of the causative link between HPV and cervical cancer, HPV has been shown to be associated with several anogenital malignancies and with oral pharyngeal cancers. HPV-related anal and oral pharyngeal disease is rising in incidence and includes anal warts and neoplasia, recurrent respiratory papillomatosis, and oral pharyngeal neoplasia. This article presents an overview of the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of nongenital HPV-related disease. PMID:23732034
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Zia-Ul-Haque, Qazi S. M.; Wang, Zhiliang; Zhang, Xueyuan
The authors have synthesized the emotion in the speech of robot. The modeling of emotion in speech relies on a number of parameters among others, fundamental frequency (F0) level, voice quality, or articulation precision etc. As an initial work for synthesizing emotion in speech, we utilized the three voice features provided by the TTS engine of Microsoft Speech SDK i.e. pitch, rate and volume. Speech with these parameters controlled, was generated randomly with 20 sentences for each emotion and perception by human hearers were collected.
Investigating human evolutionary history
We rely on fossils for the interpretation of more than 95% of our evolutionary history. Fieldwork resulting in the recovery of fresh fossil evidence is an important component of reconstructing human evolutionary history, but advances can also be made by extracting additional evidence for the existing fossil record, and by improving the methods used to interpret the fossil evidence. This review shows how information from imaging and dental microstructure has contributed to improving our understanding of the hominin fossil record. It also surveys recent advances in the use of the fossil record for phylogenetic inference. PMID:10999269
Nemerow, Glen R.; Stewart, Phoebe L.; Reddy, Vijay S.
A detailed structural analysis of the entire human adenovirus capsid has been stymied by the complexity and size of this 150 MDa macromolecular complex. Over the past 10 years, the steady improvements in viral genome manipulation concomitant with advances in crystallographic techniques and data processing software has allowed structure determination of this virus by X-ray diffraction at 3.5 {angstrom} resolution. The virus structure revealed the location, folds, and interactions of major and minor (cement proteins) on the inner and outer capsid surface. This new structural information sheds further light on the process of adenovirus capsid assembly and virus-host cell interactions.
Photosensitive Human Syndromes
Spivak, Graciela; Hanawalt, Philip C.
Photosensitivity in humans can result from defects in repair of light-induced DNA lesions, from photoactivation of chemicals (including certain medications) with sunlight to produce toxic mediators, and by immune reactions to sunlight exposures. Deficiencies in DNA repair and the processing of damaged DNA during replication and transcription may result in mutations and genomic instability. We will review current understanding of photosensitivity to short wavelength ultraviolet light (UV) due to genetic defects in particular DNA repair pathways; deficiencies in some are characterized by an extremely high incidence of cancer in sun-exposed tissues, while in others no cancers have been reported. PMID:26255937
Photosensitive human syndromes.
Spivak, Graciela; Hanawalt, Philip C
Photosensitivity in humans can result from defects in repair of light-induced DNA lesions, from photoactivation of chemicals (including certain medications) with sunlight to produce toxic mediators, and by immune reactions to sunlight exposures. Deficiencies in DNA repair and the processing of damaged DNA during replication and transcription may result in mutations and genomic instability. We will review current understanding of photosensitivity to short wavelength ultraviolet light (UV) due to genetic defects in particular DNA repair pathways; deficiencies in some are characterized by an extremely high incidence of cancer in sun-exposed tissues, while in others no cancers have been reported. PMID:26255937
Kirsanow, Karola; Burger, Joachim
The contribution of palaeogenetic data to the study of various aspects of hominin biology and evolution has been significant, and has the potential to increase substantially with the widespread implementation of next generation sequencing techniques. Here we discuss the present state-of-the-art of ancient human DNA analysis and the characteristics of hominin aDNA that make sequence validation particularly complex. A brief overview of the development of anthropological palaeogenetic analysis is given to illustrate the technical challenges motivating recent technological advancements. PMID:22169595
Hasan, Tabinda
Dissection is being jeopardized in the modern medical education. It has unrelentingly faced the lashes of time and has been the scapegoat for numerous convenient curricula reforms and subjective biases. The cadaver is unparallel in establishing core knowledge among the medical community and it needs to be appreciated in a new light in the "cyber anatomy" realm of today. This article elucidates the medical and ethical validity of continuing human body dissection in medicine which outweighs all the prejudices associated with it. PMID:23908746
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Gwynne, Owen; McKay, Chris; Zubrin, Robert
Novel approaches to the human exploration of Mars are considered with emphasis on a space suit design, extraterrestrial surface mobility, and water supply. A possible way of transporting personnel on the surface of Mars uses a suborbital rocket that will hop from one site to the next, refuelling each time it lands and giving the Martian explorers effective global mobility. Telepresence could be used to avoid limiting the people on Mars to a small exploration area as a result of a lack of transportation infrastructure. Drawings and photographs are included.
Mentoring Human Performance - 12480
Geis, John A.; Haugen, Christian N.
Although the positive effects of implementing a human performance approach to operations can be hard to quantify, many organizations and industry areas are finding tangible benefits to such a program. Recently, a unique mentoring program was established and implemented focusing on improving the performance of managers, supervisors, and work crews, using the principles of Human Performance Improvement (HPI). The goal of this mentoring was to affect behaviors and habits that reliably implement the principles of HPI to ensure continuous improvement in implementation of an Integrated Safety Management System (ISMS) within a Conduct of Operations framework. Mentors engaged with personnel in a one-on-one, or one-on-many dialogue, which focused on what behaviors were observed, what factors underlie the behaviors, and what changes in behavior could prevent errors or events, and improve performance. A senior management sponsor was essential to gain broad management support. A clear charter and management plan describing the goals, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes was established. Mentors were carefully selected with senior management endorsement. Mentors were assigned to projects and work teams based on the following three criteria: 1) knowledge of the work scope; 2) experience in similar project areas; and 3) perceived level of trust they would have with project management, supervision, and work teams. This program was restructured significantly when the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and the associated funding came to an end. The program was restructured based on an understanding of the observations, attributed successes and identified shortfalls, and the consolidation of those lessons. Mentoring the application of proven methods for improving human performance was shown effective at increasing success in day-to-day activities and increasing confidence and level of skill of supervisors. While mentoring program effectiveness is difficult to
Stochastic Models of Human Errors
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Elshamy, Maged; Elliott, Dawn M. (Technical Monitor)
Humans play an important role in the overall reliability of engineering systems. More often accidents and systems failure are traced to human errors. Therefore, in order to have meaningful system risk analysis, the reliability of the human element must be taken into consideration. Describing the human error process by mathematical models is a key to analyzing contributing factors. Therefore, the objective of this research effort is to establish stochastic models substantiated by sound theoretic foundation to address the occurrence of human errors in the processing of the space shuttle.
Biological databases for human research.
Zou, Dong; Ma, Lina; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang
The completion of the Human Genome Project lays a foundation for systematically studying the human genome from evolutionary history to precision medicine against diseases. With the explosive growth of biological data, there is an increasing number of biological databases that have been developed in aid of human-related research. Here we present a collection of human-related biological databases and provide a mini-review by classifying them into different categories according to their data types. As human-related databases continue to grow not only in count but also in volume, challenges are ahead in big data storage, processing, exchange and curation. PMID:25712261
Biological Databases for Human Research
Zou, Dong; Ma, Lina; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang
The completion of the Human Genome Project lays a foundation for systematically studying the human genome from evolutionary history to precision medicine against diseases. With the explosive growth of biological data, there is an increasing number of biological databases that have been developed in aid of human-related research. Here we present a collection of human-related biological databases and provide a mini-review by classifying them into different categories according to their data types. As human-related databases continue to grow not only in count but also in volume, challenges are ahead in big data storage, processing, exchange and curation. PMID:25712261
Human-human cooperative task characteristics and motion analysis based on human visual and auditory senses
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Abu Bakar, Shahriman; Ikeura, Ryojun; Handa, Yuichiro; Yano, Takemi; Mizutani, Kazuki
To design human cooperative robot it is necessary to take into consideration the factor to make the robot move as smooth as possible during the cooperative task. This is to ensure that human can work with robot with high degree of smoothness that would ensure the task is completed without stress and fatigue to human. Since robot does not know the feeling of human, we need to replicate the human motion characteristic into the robot. In human-human cooperative task normally to achieve good cooperative task, human will use auditory, visual and touch senses. We want to understand what kind of sense at which moment it is uses to get good cooperative task. We arranged the experiment subjects so that they utilized their senses individually during the cooperative task. Experiment devices are equipped with 3D position sensors and force sensors to measure the position, angle and force value. This research is concentrating the force and torque characteristic that occurs to the human participants during human-to-human cooperative work where the human audio, visual and touch senses are applied.
Antarctic skuas recognize individual humans.
Lee, Won Young; Han, Yeong-Deok; Lee, Sang-Im; Jablonski, Piotr G; Jung, Jin-Woo; Kim, Jeong-Hoon
Recent findings report that wild animals can recognize individual humans. To explain how the animals distinguish humans, two hypotheses are proposed. The high cognitive abilities hypothesis implies that pre-existing high intelligence enabled animals to acquire such abilities. The pre-exposure to stimuli hypothesis suggests that frequent encounters with humans promote the acquisition of discriminatory abilities in these species. Here, we examine individual human recognition abilities in a wild Antarctic species, the brown skua (Stercorarius antarcticus), which lives away from typical human settlements and was only recently exposed to humans due to activities at Antarctic stations. We found that, as nest visits were repeated, the skua parents responded at further distances and were more likely to attack the nest intruder. Also, we demonstrated that seven out of seven breeding pairs of skuas selectively responded to a human nest intruder with aggression and ignored a neutral human who had not previously approached the nest. The results indicate that Antarctic skuas, a species that typically inhabited in human-free areas, are able to recognize individual humans who disturbed their nests. Our findings generally support the high cognitive abilities hypothesis, but this ability can be acquired during a relatively short period in the life of an individual as a result of interactions between individual birds and humans. PMID:26939544
Selection of Recombinant Human Antibodies.
Tomszak, Florian; Weber, Susanne; Zantow, Jonas; Schirrmann, Thomas; Hust, Michael; Frenzel, André
Since the development of therapeutic antibodies the demand of recombinant human antibodies is steadily increasing. Traditionally, therapeutic antibodies were generated by immunization of rat or mice, the generation of hybridoma clones, cloning of the antibody genes and subsequent humanization and engineering of the lead candidates. In the last few years, techniques were developed that use transgenic animals with a human antibody gene repertoire. Here, modern recombinant DNA technologies can be combined with well established immunization and hybridoma technologies to generate already affinity maturated human antibodies. An alternative are in vitro technologies which enabled the generation of fully human antibodies from antibody gene libraries that even exceed the human antibody repertoire. Specific antibodies can be isolated from these libraries in a very short time and therefore reduce the development time of an antibody drug at a very early stage.In this review, we describe different technologies that are currently used for the in vitro and in vivo generation of human antibodies. PMID:27236551
Tactual interfaces: The human perceiver
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Srinivasan, M. A.
Increasingly complex human-machine interactions, such as in teleoperation or in virtual environments, have necessitated the optimal use of the human tactual channel for information transfer. This need leads to a demand for a basic understanding of how the human tactual system works, so that the tactual interface between the human and the machine can receive the command signals from the human, as well as display the information to the human, in a manner that appears natural to the human. The tactual information consists of two components: (1) contact information which specifies the nature of direct contact with the object; and (2) kinesthetic information which refers to the position and motion of the limbs. This paper is mostly concerned with contact information.
Humanized Antibodies for Antiviral Therapy
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Co, Man Sung; Deschamps, Marguerite; Whitley, Richard J.; Queen, Cary
Antibody therapy holds great promise for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and viral infections. Murine monoclonal antibodies are relatively easy to produce but are severely restricted for therapeutic use by their immunogenicity in humans. Production of human monoclonal antibodies has been problematic. Humanized antibodies can be generated by introducing the six hypervariable regions from the heavy and light chains of a murine antibody into a human framework sequence and combining it with human constant regions. We humanized, with the aid of computer modeling, two murine monoclonal antibodies against herpes simplex virus gB and gD glycoproteins. The binding, virus neutralization, and cell protection results all indicate that both humanized antibodies have retained the binding activities and the biological properties of the murine monoclonal antibodies.
Burn, John; Watson, Michael
The practical realization of genomics has meant a growing realization that variant interpretation is a major barrier to practical use of DNA sequence data. The late Professor Dick Cotton devoted his life to innovation in molecular genetics and was a prime mover in the international response to the need to understand the "variome." His leadership resulted in the launch first of the Human Genetic Variation Society and then, in 2006, an international agreement to launch the Human Variome Project (HVP), aimed at data integration enabled by standards and infrastructure of the databases of variants being identified in families with a range of inherited disorders. The project attracted a network of affiliates across 81 countries and earned formal recognition by UNESCO, which now hosts its biennial meetings. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Health Organization. Future progress will depend on longer term secure funding and integration with the efforts of the genomics community where the rapid advances in sequencing technology have enabled variant capture on a previously unimaginable scale. Efforts are underway to integrate the efforts of HVP with those of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health to provide a lasting legacy of Dick Cotton's vision. PMID:26987309
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Spinelli, Antonello Enrico; Ferdeghini, Marco; Cavedon, Carlo; Zivelonghi, Emanuele; Calandrino, Riccardo; Fenzi, Alberto; Sbarbati, Andrea; Boschi, Federico
Cerenkov luminescence imaging is an emerging optical preclinical modality based on the detection of Cerenkov radiation induced by beta particles when traveling though biological tissues with a velocity greater than the speed of light. We present the first human Cerenkography obtained by detecting Cerenkov radiation escaping the thyroid gland of a patient treated for hyperthyroidism. The Cerenkov light was detected using an electron multiplied charge coupled device and a conventional C-mount lens. The system set-up has been tested by using a slab of ex vivo tissue equal to a 1 cm slice of chicken breast in order to simulate optical photons attenuation. We then imaged for 2 min the head and neck region of a patient treated orally 24 h before with 550 MBq of I-131. Co-registration between photographic and Cerenkov images showed a good localization of the Cerenkov light within the thyroid region. In conclusion, we showed that it is possible to obtain a planar image of Cerenkov photons escaping from a human tissue. Cerenkography is a potential novel medical tool to image superficial organs of patients treated with beta minus radiopharmaceuticals and can be extended to the imaging of beta plus emitters.
Eckberg, Dwain L
Respiratory activity phasically alters membrane potentials of preganglionic vagal and sympathetic motoneurones and continuously modulates their responsiveness to stimulatory inputs. The most obvious manifestation of this 'respiratory gating' is respiratory sinus arrhythmia, the rhythmic fluctuations of electrocardiographic R–R intervals observed in healthy resting humans. Phasic autonomic motoneurone firing, reflecting the throughput of the system, depends importantly on the intensity of stimulatory inputs, such that when levels of stimulation are low (as with high arterial pressure and sympathetic activity, or low arterial pressure and vagal activity), respiratory fluctuations of sympathetic or vagal firing are also low. The respiratory gate has a finite capacity, and high levels of stimulation override the ability of respiration to gate autonomic responsiveness. Autonomic throughput also depends importantly on other factors, including especially, the frequency of breathing, the rate at which the gate opens and closes. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is small at rapid, and large at slow breathing rates. The strong correlation between systolic pressure and R–R intervals at respiratory frequencies reflects the influence of respiration on these two measures, rather than arterial baroreflex physiology. A wide range of evidence suggests that respiratory activity gates the timing of autonomic motoneurone firing, but does not influence its tonic level. I propose that the most enduring significance of respiratory gating is its use as a precisely controlled experimental tool to tease out and better understand otherwise inaccessible human autonomic neurophysiological mechanisms. PMID:12626671
Nay, John J.; Vorobeychik, Yevgeniy
The Prisoner's Dilemma has been a subject of extensive research due to its importance in understanding the ever-present tension between individual self-interest and social benefit. A strictly dominant strategy in a Prisoner's Dilemma (defection), when played by both players, is mutually harmful. Repetition of the Prisoner's Dilemma can give rise to cooperation as an equilibrium, but defection is as well, and this ambiguity is difficult to resolve. The numerous behavioral experiments investigating the Prisoner's Dilemma highlight that players often cooperate, but the level of cooperation varies significantly with the specifics of the experimental predicament. We present the first computational model of human behavior in repeated Prisoner's Dilemma games that unifies the diversity of experimental observations in a systematic and quantitatively reliable manner. Our model relies on data we integrated from many experiments, comprising 168,386 individual decisions. The model is composed of two pieces: the first predicts the first-period action using solely the structural game parameters, while the second predicts dynamic actions using both game parameters and history of play. Our model is successful not merely at fitting the data, but in predicting behavior at multiple scales in experimental designs not used for calibration, using only information about the game structure. We demonstrate the power of our approach through a simulation analysis revealing how to best promote human cooperation. PMID:27171417
Bressan, Paola; Kramer, Peter
Natural selection has favored the evolution of behaviors that benefit not only one's genes, but also their copies in genetically related individuals. These behaviors include optimal outbreeding (choosing a mate that is neither too closely related, nor too distant), nepotism (helping kin), and spite (hurting non-kin at a personal cost), and all require some form of kin detection or kin recognition. Yet, kinship cannot be assessed directly; human kin detection relies on heuristic cues that take into account individuals' context (whether they were reared by our mother, or grew up in our home, or were given birth by our spouse), appearance (whether they smell or look like us), and ability to arouse certain feelings (whether we feel emotionally close to them). The uncertainties of kin detection, along with its dependence on social information, create ample opportunities for the evolution of deception and self-deception. For example, babies carry no unequivocal stamp of their biological father, but across cultures they are passionately claimed to resemble their mother's spouse; to the same effect, 'neutral' observers are greatly influenced by belief in relatedness when judging resemblance between strangers. Still, paternity uncertainty profoundly shapes human relationships, reducing not only the investment contributed by paternal versus maternal kin, but also prosocial behavior between individuals who are related through one or more males rather than females alone. Because of its relevance to racial discrimination and political preferences, the evolutionary pressure to prefer kin to non-kin has a manifold influence on society at large. PMID:26263231
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Parsons, H. Mcilvaine
People interact with the processes and products of contemporary technology. Individuals are affected by these in various ways and individuals shape them. Such interactions come under the label 'human factors'. To expand the understanding of those to whom the term is relatively unfamiliar, its domain includes both an applied science and applications of knowledge. It means both research and development, with implications of research both for basic science and for development. It encompasses not only design and testing but also training and personnel requirements, even though some unwisely try to split these apart both by name and institutionally. The territory includes more than performance at work, though concentration on that aspect, epitomized in the derivation of the term ergonomics, has overshadowed human factors interest in interactions between technology and the home, health, safety, consumers, children and later life, the handicapped, sports and recreation education, and travel. Two aspects of technology considered most significant for work performance, systems and automation, and several approaches to these, are discussed.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Eckberg, Dwain L.
Respiratory activity phasically alters membrane potentials of preganglionic vagal and sympathetic motoneurones and continuously modulates their responsiveness to stimulatory inputs. The most obvious manifestation of this 'respiratory gating' is respiratory sinus arrhythmia, the rhythmic fluctuations of electrocardiographic R-R intervals observed in healthy resting humans. Phasic autonomic motoneurone firing, reflecting the throughput of the system, depends importantly on the intensity of stimulatory inputs, such that when levels of stimulation are low (as with high arterial pressure and sympathetic activity, or low arterial pressure and vagal activity), respiratory fluctuations of sympathetic or vagal firing are also low. The respiratory gate has a finite capacity, and high levels of stimulation override the ability of respiration to gate autonomic responsiveness. Autonomic throughput also depends importantly on other factors, including especially, the frequency of breathing, the rate at which the gate opens and closes. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is small at rapid, and large at slow breathing rates. The strong correlation between systolic pressure and R-R intervals at respiratory frequencies reflects the influence of respiration on these two measures, rather than arterial baroreflex physiology. A wide range of evidence suggests that respiratory activity gates the timing of autonomic motoneurone firing, but does not influence its tonic level. I propose that the most enduring significance of respiratory gating is its use as a precisely controlled experimental tool to tease out and better understand otherwise inaccessible human autonomic neurophysiological mechanisms.
Nay, John J; Vorobeychik, Yevgeniy
The Prisoner's Dilemma has been a subject of extensive research due to its importance in understanding the ever-present tension between individual self-interest and social benefit. A strictly dominant strategy in a Prisoner's Dilemma (defection), when played by both players, is mutually harmful. Repetition of the Prisoner's Dilemma can give rise to cooperation as an equilibrium, but defection is as well, and this ambiguity is difficult to resolve. The numerous behavioral experiments investigating the Prisoner's Dilemma highlight that players often cooperate, but the level of cooperation varies significantly with the specifics of the experimental predicament. We present the first computational model of human behavior in repeated Prisoner's Dilemma games that unifies the diversity of experimental observations in a systematic and quantitatively reliable manner. Our model relies on data we integrated from many experiments, comprising 168,386 individual decisions. The model is composed of two pieces: the first predicts the first-period action using solely the structural game parameters, while the second predicts dynamic actions using both game parameters and history of play. Our model is successful not merely at fitting the data, but in predicting behavior at multiple scales in experimental designs not used for calibration, using only information about the game structure. We demonstrate the power of our approach through a simulation analysis revealing how to best promote human cooperation. PMID:27171417
Adipokines in human reproduction.
Dupont, Joëlle; Pollet-Villard, Xavier; Reverchon, Maxime; Mellouk, Namya; Levy, Rachel
Adipose tissue communicates with other central and peripheral organs by the synthesis and release of substances called adipokines. The most studied adipokine is leptin but others have been recently identified including resistin, adiponectin, chemerin, omentin and visfatin. These adipokines have a critical role in the development of obesity-related complications and inflammatory conditions. However, they are also involved in other functions in the organism including reproductive functions. Indeed, many groups have demonstrated that adipokine receptors, such as adiponectin and chemerin, but also adipokines themselves (adiponectin, chemerin, resistin, visfatin and omentin) are expressed in human peripheral reproductive tissues and that these adipokines are likely to exert direct effects on these tissues. After a brief description of these new adipokines, an overview of their actions in different human reproductive organs (hypothalamus, pituitary, ovary, testis, uterus and placenta) will be presented. Finally, comments will be made on the eventual alterations of these adipokines in reproductive disorders, with special attention to polycystic ovary syndrome, a disease characterized by dysfunction of gonadal axis and systemic nerve endocrine metabolic network with a prevalence of up to 10% in women of reproductive age. PMID:26574894
Gilbride, Theresa L.
This is a case study of the Lakeland, FLorida, Habitat for Humanity affiliate, which has partnered with DOE's Building America program to homes that achieve energy savings of 30% or more over the Building America baseline home (a home built to the 1993 Model Energy Code). The article includes a description of the energy-efficiency features used. The Lakeland affiliate built several of its homes with ducts in conditioned space, which minimizes heat losses and gains. They also used high-efficiency SEER 14 air conditioners; radiant barriers in the roof to keep attics cooler; above-code high-performance dual-pane vinyl-framed low-emissivity windows; a passive fresh air duct to the air handler; and duct blaster and blower door testing of every home to ensure the home's air tightness. This case study was also prepared as a flier titled "High Performance Builder Spotlight: Lakeland Habitat for Humanity, Lakeland, Florida,: which was cleared as PNNL-SA-59068 and distributed at the International Builders' Show Feb 13-16, 2008, in Orlando, Florida.
The human mitochondrial transcriptome
Mercer, Tim R.; Neph, Shane; Dinger, Marcel E.; Crawford, Joanna; Smith, Martin A.; Shearwood, Anne-Marie J.; Haugen, Eric; Bracken, Cameron P.; Rackham, Oliver; Stamatoyannopoulos, John A.; Filipovska, Aleksandra; Mattick, John S.
Summary The human mitochondrial genome comprises a distinct genetic system transcribed as precursor polycistronic transcripts that are subsequently cleaved to generate individual mRNAs, tRNAs and rRNAs. Here we provide a comprehensive analysis of the human mitochondrial transcriptome across multiple cell lines and tissues. Using directional deep sequencing and parallel analysis of RNA ends, we demonstrate wide variation in mitochondrial transcript abundance and precisely resolve transcript processing and maturation events. We identify previously undescribed transcripts, including small RNAs, and observe the enrichment of several nuclear RNAs in mitochondria. Using high-throughput in vivo DNaseI footprinting, we establish the global profile of DNA-binding protein occupancy across the mitochondrial genome at single nucleotide resolution, revealing regulatory features at mitochondrial transcription initiation sites and functional insights into disease-associated variants. This integrated analysis of the mitochondrial transcriptome reveals unexpected complexity in the regulation, expression, and processing of mitochondrial RNA, and provides a resource for future studies of mitochondrial function (accessed at mitochondria.matticklab.com). PMID:21854988
[Mycotoxin research in humans].
Lazo, Ramón F; Sierra, Gonzalo
This study investigates the occurrence of aflatoxins in Ecuador. Early investigators proved the presence of aflatoxins in human and animal food, but the disturbing data lead to the formation of two research teams at Guayaquil University and the Agrarian University of Ecuador to investigate aflaxotins and other mycotoxins in food and their relationship to human health. Because the concept of mycotoxicosis as a result of the secondary metabolites produced by different species of moulds could cause different clinical patterns, the research team includes Aspergillus metabolites found in the urine of a patient with pulmonary aspergilloma. We considered that the body itself could create secondary metabolites. An ELISA method was used to detect mycotoxins with the specific reactive compounds using a company base assay. This allows the detection quantitative of such metabolites in 24 h collected urine. The patient was treated with itraconazole for nine months, after clinical, radiological and aflatoxins testing. We also investigated three other cases in children with a second level of malnutrition and only with vomitoxins results and in three investigated cases of otomycosis caused by Aspergillus niger only in one case traces of aflatoxins were found. PMID:18338920
Ancient humans and the origin of modern humans.
Kelso, Janet; Prüfer, Kay
Recent advances in sequencing technologies and molecular methods have facilitated the sequencing of DNA from ancient human remains which has, in turn, provided unprecedented insight into human history. Within the past 4 years the genomes of Neandertals and Denisovans, as well as the genomes of at least two early modern humans, have been sequenced. These sequences showed that there have been several episodes of admixture between modern and archaic groups; including admixture from Neandertals into modern human populations outside of Africa, and admixture from Denisovans into modern human populations in Oceania. Recent results indicate that some of these introgressed regions may have been advantageous for modern humans as they expanded into new regions outside of Africa. PMID:25286439
Issues on combining human and non-human intelligence
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Statler, Irving C.; Connors, Mary M.
The purpose here is to call attention to some of the issues confronting the designer of a system that combines human and non-human intelligence. We do not know how to design a non-human intelligence in such a way that it will fit naturally into a human organization. The author's concern is that, without adequate understanding and consideration of the behavioral and psychological limitations and requirements of the human member(s) of the system, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) subsystems can exacerbate operational problems. We have seen that, when these technologies are not properly applied, an overall degradation of performance at the system level can occur. Only by understanding how human and automated systems work together can we be sure that the problems introduced by automation are not more serious than the problems solved.
Can Humanized Mice Predict Drug "Behavior" in Humans?
Xu, Dan; Peltz, Gary
Most of what we know about a drug prior to human clinical studies is derived from animal testing. Because animals and humans have substantial differences in their physiology and in their drug metabolism pathways, we do not know very much about the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior of a drug in humans until after it is administered to many people. Hence, drug-induced liver injury has become a significant public health problem, and we have a very inefficient drug development process with a high failure rate. Because the human liver is at the heart of these problems, chimeric mice with humanized livers could be used to address these issues. We examine recent evidence indicating that drug testing in chimeric mice could provide better information about a drug's metabolism, disposition, and toxicity (i.e., its "behavior") in humans and could aid in developing personalized medicine strategies, which would improve drug efficacy and safety. PMID:26514208
Bouatra, Souhaila; Aziat, Farid; Mandal, Rupasri; Guo, An Chi; Wilson, Michael R.; Knox, Craig; Bjorndahl, Trent C.; Krishnamurthy, Ramanarayan; Saleem, Fozia; Liu, Philip; Dame, Zerihun T.; Poelzer, Jenna; Huynh, Jessica; Yallou, Faizath S.; Psychogios, Nick; Dong, Edison; Bogumil, Ralf; Roehring, Cornelia; Wishart, David S.
Urine has long been a "favored" biofluid among metabolomics researchers. It is sterile, easy-to-obtain in large volumes, largely free from interfering proteins or lipids and chemically complex. However, this chemical complexity has also made urine a particularly difficult substrate to fully understand. As a biological waste material, urine typically contains metabolic breakdown products from a wide range of foods, drinks, drugs, environmental contaminants, endogenous waste metabolites and bacterial by-products. Many of these compounds are poorly characterized and poorly understood. In an effort to improve our understanding of this biofluid we have undertaken a comprehensive, quantitative, metabolome-wide characterization of human urine. This involved both computer-aided literature mining and comprehensive, quantitative experimental assessment/validation. The experimental portion employed NMR spectroscopy, gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), direct flow injection mass spectrometry (DFI/LC-MS/MS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) experiments performed on multiple human urine samples. This multi-platform metabolomic analysis allowed us to identify 445 and quantify 378 unique urine metabolites or metabolite species. The different analytical platforms were able to identify (quantify) a total of: 209 (209) by NMR, 179 (85) by GC-MS, 127 (127) by DFI/LC-MS/MS, 40 (40) by ICP-MS and 10 (10) by HPLC. Our use of multiple metabolomics platforms and technologies allowed us to identify several previously unknown urine metabolites and to substantially enhance the level of metabolome coverage. It also allowed us to critically assess the relative strengths and weaknesses of different platforms or technologies. The literature review led to the identification and annotation of another 2206 urinary compounds and was used to help guide the subsequent experimental studies. An online database containing
Haake, David A; Levett, Paul N
Leptospirosis is a widespread and potentially fatal zoonosis that is endemic in many tropical regions and causes large epidemics after heavy rainfall and flooding. Infection results from direct or indirect exposure to infected reservoir host animals that carry the pathogen in their renal tubules and shed pathogenic leptospires in their urine. Although many wild and domestic animals can serve as reservoir hosts, the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the most important source of human infections. Individuals living in urban slum environments characterized by inadequate sanitation and poor housing are at high risk of rat exposure and leptospirosis. The global burden of leptospirosis is expected to rise with demographic shifts that favor increases in the number of urban poor in tropical regions subject to worsening storms and urban flooding due to climate change. Data emerging from prospective surveillance studies suggest that most human leptospiral infections in endemic areas are mild or asymptomatic. Development of more severe outcomes likely depends on three factors: epidemiological conditions, host susceptibility, and pathogen virulence (Fig. 1). Mortality increases with age, particularly in patients older than 60 years of age. High levels of bacteremia are associated with poor clinical outcomes and, based on animal model and in vitro studies, are related in part to poor recognition of leptospiral LPS by human TLR4. Patients with severe leptospirosis experience a cytokine storm characterized by high levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10. Patients with the HLA DQ6 allele are at higher risk of disease, suggesting a role for lymphocyte stimulation by a leptospiral superantigen. Leptospirosis typically presents as a nonspecific, acute febrile illness characterized by fever, myalgia, and headache and may be confused with other entities such as influenza and dengue fever. Newer diagnostic methods facilitate early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. Patients progressing to
Levett, Paul N.
Leptospirosis is a widespread and potentially fatal zoonosis that is endemic in many tropical regions and causes large epidemics after heavy rainfall and flooding. Infection results from direct or indirect exposure to infected reservoir host animals that carry the pathogen in their renal tubules and shed pathogenic leptospires in their urine. Although many wild and domestic animals can serve as reservoir hosts, the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is the most important source of human infections. Individuals living in urban slum environments characterized by inadequate sanitation and poor housing are at high risk of rat exposure and leptospirosis. The global burden of leptospirosis is expected to rise with demographic shifts that favor increases in the number of urban poor in tropical regions subject to worsening storms and urban flooding due to climate change. Data emerging from prospective surveillance studies suggest that most human leptospiral infections in endemic areas are mild or asymptomatic. Development of more severe outcomes likely depends on three factors: epidemiological conditions, host susceptibility, and pathogen virulence (Fig. 1). Mortality increases with age, particularly in patients older than 60 years of age. High levels of bacteremia are associated with poor clinical outcomes and, based on animal model and in vitro studies, are related in part to poor recognition of leptospiral LPS by human TLR4. Patients with severe leptospirosis experience a cytokine storm characterized by high levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha, and IL-10. Patients with the HLA DQ6 allele are at higher risk of disease, suggesting a role for lymphocyte stimulation by a leptospiral superantigen. Leptospirosis typically presents as a nonspecific, acute febrile illness characterized by fever, myalgia, and headache and may be confused with other entities such as influenza and dengue fever. Newer diagnostic methods facilitate early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. Patients progressing to