scholarly journals The high-altitude research of Mabel Purefoy FitzGerald, 1911–13

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-99
Author(s):  
Martin Goodman
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Physiological Effects ◽  
Alveolar Air ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Mining Communities ◽  
Colorado Rockies ◽  
Home Schooled

Home schooled without a science education, Mabel Purefoy FitzGerald (1872–1973) attended physiology lectures at Oxford in 1897, even though the school was closed to women. She found work as a researcher, published early noted papers and earned the active respect and support of senior scientists of her day. Her laboratory work with the physiologist J. S. Haldane saw her invited to the join the Pikes Peak Expedition in 1911. While the male team members measured the physiological effects of long-term residency at 14 101 feet, as the sole woman FitzGerald took measurements of haemoglobin and alveolar air from herself and from mining staff and families at altitudes from 6000 to 12 500 feet, travelling to remote mining communities in the Colorado Rockies. A subsequent expedition collected data at lower altitudes. Recorded in two papers, the results presented pioneering evidence of the role of oxygen in breathing.

scholarly journals Vitamin D status and metabolism in an ovine pregnancy model: effect of long-term, high-altitude hypoxia

2016 ◽  
Vol 310 (11) ◽  
pp. E1062-E1071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Goyal ◽  
Tara L. Billings ◽  
Trina Mansour ◽  
Courtney Martin ◽  
David J. Baylink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Plasma Levels ◽  
Vitamin D Status ◽  
Molecular Determinants ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Specific Regulation ◽  
Circulating Levels

Vitamin D status increases during healthy mammalian pregnancy, but the molecular determinants remain uncharacterized. The first objective of this study was to determine the effects of pregnancy, and the second objective was to examine the role of chronic hypoxia on vitamin D status and metabolism in an ovine model. We analyzed the plasma levels of cholecalciferol, 25-OH-D, and 1α,25-(OH)2D in nonpregnant ewes, near-term pregnant ewes, and their fetuses exposed to normoxia (low altitude) or hypoxia (high-altitude) for 100 days. Hypoxic sheep had increased circulating levels of 25-OH-D and 1α,25-(OH)2D compared with normoxic sheep. Hypoxia increases in 25-OH-D were associated with increased expression of renal 25-hydroxylases CYP2R1 and CYP2J. Pregnancy did not increase further the plasma levels of 25-OH-D, but it significantly increased those of the active metabolite, 1α,25-(OH)2D, in both normoxic and hypoxic ewes. Increased bioactivation of vitamin D correlated with increased expression of the vitamin D-activating enzyme CYP27b1 and decreased expression of the inactivating enzyme CYP24a1 in maternal kidneys and placentas. Hypoxia increased parathyroid hormone levels and further increased renal CYP27b1. Pregnancy and hypoxia decreased the expression of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in maternal kidney and lung, with opposite effects on placental VDR. We conclude that ovine pregnancy is a model of increased vitamin D status, and long-term hypoxia further improves vitamin D status due to pregnancy- and hypoxia-specific regulation of VDR and metabolic enzymes.

scholarly journals THE PROCESS OF NATURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION: THE ASPECT OF CONCEPTS INTERIORIZATION

2009 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-18
Author(s):  
Jūratė Mocartienė ◽  
Rita Makarskaitė-Petkevičienė
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Visual Aids ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Natural Science Education ◽  
The University ◽  
Positive Effect

The article presents the results of the research in adoption of the content of the programme “Water” developed by the scientists from the University of Rostock. The sample of the research included school learners from the 2nd and 3rd forms. The data of three testings were analysed and the evaluated change in the school learners’ knowledge development proved that application of the methodology of the programme “Water” significantly improved the respondents’ knowledge of water, its structure, states, the water cycle, the mechanism of water treatment and self-cleaning. This knowledge includes and expands not only learning about the environment, but also develops school learners’ ecological attitude to nature and natural resources. However, only well-established long-term knowledge (which is the focus of the programme under discus-sion) will ensure the application of this knowledge in the further process of natural science education. The article also presents the analysis of school learners’ reflections on learning, which shows that the respondents, involved in the investigation of the discussed object (i.e. water in this case) demonstrated a better acquisition of the presented material since visual aids, motivation and active involvement of learners are as relevant as the presented information itself. The conducted research allowed to evaluate the role of the programme “Water” in long-term knowledge adoption, that is, learning and internalisation of concepts. The change in test results showed that information provided together with the concepts daily used by children, which gradually are changed into scientific ones, has a positive effect on formation of concepts of natural science education, their understand-ing and learning. Key words: natural science education, teaching process, long-term adoption of knowledge, interior-ization of concept.

Fetal cerebrovascular acclimatization responses to high-altitude, long-term hypoxia: a model for prenatal programming of adult disease?

2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (1) ◽  
pp. R16-R24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence D. Longo ◽  
William J. Pearce
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Additional Stress ◽  
Cerebral Vasculature ◽  
Adult Disease ◽  
Pharmacomechanical Coupling ◽  
And Function ◽  
Inadequate Nutrition

During the past several decades, many risk factors for cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease have been identified. More recently, it has been appreciated that inadequate nutrition and/or other intrauterine factors during fetal development may play an important role in the genesis of these conditions. An additional stress factor that may “program” the fetus for disease later in life is chronic hypoxia. In studies originally designed to examine the function of developing cerebral arterial function in response to long-term hypoxia (LTH), it has become clear that many cellular and subcellular changes may have important implications for later life. Here we review some of the significant alterations in fetal cerebral artery structure and function induced by high-altitude (3,820 m, 12,470 ft) LTH (∼110 days). LTH is associated with augmentation or upregulation of presynaptic functions, including responses to perivascular (i.e., sympathetic) nerve stimulation, and structural maturational changes. In contrast, many postsynaptic functions related to the Ca2+-dependent contractile pathway tend to be downregulated, whereas elements of the Ca2+-independent contraction pathway are upregulated. The results emphasize the role of high-altitude LTH in modulating many aspects of electromechanical and pharmacomechanical coupling in the developing cerebral vasculature. A complicating factor is that the regulation of cerebrovascular tone by Ca2+-dependent and Ca2+-independent pathways changes significantly as a function of maturational age. In addition to highlighting independent regulation of various elements of the signal transduction cascade, the studies demonstrate the potential for LTH to program the fetus for cerebrovascular and other disease as an adult.

Ventilation and hypoxic ventilatory responsiveness in Chinese-Tibetan residents at 3,658 m

1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 2098-2104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda S. Curran ◽  
Jianguo Zhuang ◽  
Shin Fu Sun ◽  
Lorna G. Moore
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Minute Ventilation ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Hypoxic Exposure ◽  
Chronic Mountain Sickness ◽  
Air Breathing ◽  
Ventilatory Responses ◽  
Permissive Role

Curran, Linda S., Jianguo Zhuang, Shin Fu Sun, and Lorna G. Moore. Ventilation and hypoxic ventilatory responsiveness in Chinese-Tibetan residents at 3,658 m. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(6): 2098–2104, 1997.—When breathing ambient air at rest at 3,658 m altitude, Tibetan lifelong residents of 3,658 m ventilate as much as newcomers acclimatized to high altitude; they also ventilate more and have greater hypoxic ventilatory responses (HVRs) than do Han (“Chinese”) long-term residents at 3,658 m. This suggests that Tibetan ancestry is advantageous in protecting resting ventilation levels during years of hypoxic exposure and is of interest in light of the permissive role of hypoventilation in the development of chronic mountain sickness, which is nearly absent among Tibetans. The existence of individuals with mixed Tibetan-Chinese ancestry (Han-Tibetans) residing at 3,658 m affords an opportunity to test this hypothesis. Eighteen men born in Lhasa, Tibet, China (3,658 m) to Tibetan mothers and Han fathers were compared with 27 Tibetan men and 30 Han men residing at 3,658 m who were previously studied. We used the same study procedures (minute ventilation was measured with a dry-gas flowmeter during room air breathing and hyperoxia and with a 13-liter spirometer-rebreathing system during the hypoxic and hypercapnic tests). During room air breathing at 3,658 m (inspired O2 pressure = 93 Torr), Han-Tibetans resembled Tibetans in ventilation (12.1 ± 0.6 vs. 11.5± 0.5 l/min btps, respectively) but had HVR that were blunted (63 ± 16 vs. 121 ± 13, respectively, for HVR shape parameter A) and declined with increasing duration of high-altitude residence. During administered hyperoxia (inspired O2 pressure = 310 Torr) at 3,658 m, the paradoxical hyperventilation previously seen in Tibetan but not Han residents at 3,658 m (11.8 ± 0.5 vs. 10.1 ± 0.5 l/min btps) was absent in these Han-Tibetans (9.8 ± 0.6 l/minbtps). Thus, although longer duration of high-altitude residence appears to progressively blunt HVR among Han-Tibetans born and residing at 3,658 m, their Tibetan ancestry appears protective in their maintenance of high resting ventilation levels despite diminished chemosensitivity.

Xplant: entrepreneurship challenges for student entrepreneurs

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Subhadip Roy ◽  
Sakshi Goenka
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Program ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Subject Area ◽  
New Venture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Set Up

Subject area The case is aimed at pointing out the basic nuances of entrepreneurship without a profit motive and the challenges faced in the course of achieving the same. Study level/applicability This case could be a part of the Entrepreneurship course in a Post-Graduate Program in Business Management. In case of an Executive Education Program, this case can be used to facilitate issues in Entrepreneurship Development and Non-Profit Marketing. Case overview The present case is a field-based illustrative study on Xplant, a unit set up by Xavier Research Foundation to promote production and selling of seasonal and ornamental plants with accessories to prospective buyers. The uniqueness about the organization was that it was solely governed and run by the students of Biotechnology Course at Xaviers College, Ahmedabad, India. However, in early 2012, it was found that the organization was facing a lot of issues such as competition, lesser demand and lack of motivation of the employees (students). All of which were taking the unit away from achieving sustainability. Expected learning outcomes Understanding the basics of a new venture and entrepreneurship; understanding the role of the team members in promoting the entrepreneurship venture; role of leadership in entrepreneurship; impact of independence of the entrepreneur and transference of business vision on long-term success of the venture; role of environment in success/failure or entrepreneurial ventures; and problems faced by entrepreneurship ventures. Supplementary materials Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email [email protected] to request teaching notes.

Effective multicultural project management: the role of human interdependence

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivier Mesly ◽  
Jean-Pierre Lévy-Mangin ◽  
Normand Bourgault ◽  
Veronique Nabelsi
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Predator Prey ◽  
Human Power ◽  
Power Game ◽  
Future Project

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to look at human interdependence and its significance in project management. Design/methodology/approach – The paper focuses solely on human interaction in the context of a short-term project consisting of preparing a small “international” fair in Gatineau, Québec (Canada). For this purpose, an established questionnaire was used which aimed to evaluate the predator-prey dynamic between team members (as described by Mesly in a recent paper). Findings – Human interdependence indeed plays a key role in the functioning of short-lived projects (and, this paper assumes, of long-term projects as well). Originality/value – The paper places emphasis on considering the human power-game factor (predator-prey) more strongly in future project endeavors.

scholarly journals Fetal endocrine and metabolic adaptations to hypoxia: the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

2015 ◽  
Vol 309 (5) ◽  
pp. E429-E439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Newby ◽  
Dean A. Myers ◽  
Charles A. Ducsay
Keyword(s):  
High Altitude ◽  
Hpa Axis ◽  
Fetal Development ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal ◽  
Metabolic Adaptations

In utero, hypoxia is a significant yet common stress that perturbs homeostasis and can occur due to preeclampsia, preterm labor, maternal smoking, heart or lung disease, obesity, and high altitude. The fetus has the extraordinary capacity to respond to stress during development. This is mediated in part by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and more recently explored changes in perirenal adipose tissue (PAT) in response to hypoxia. Obvious ethical considerations limit studies of the human fetus, and fetal studies in the rodent model are limited due to size considerations and major differences in developmental landmarks. The sheep is a common model that has been used extensively to study the effects of both acute and chronic hypoxia on fetal development. In response to high-altitude-induced, moderate long-term hypoxia (LTH), both the HPA axis and PAT adapt to preserve normal fetal growth and development while allowing for responses to acute stress. Although these adaptations appear beneficial during fetal development, they may become deleterious postnatally and into adulthood. The goal of this review is to examine the role of the HPA axis in the convergence of endocrine and metabolic adaptive responses to hypoxia in the fetus.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document