scholarly journals How 3D Printing Is Reshaping Translational Research

Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. W. Sigston

“Translational Research” has traditionally been defined as taking basic scientific findings and developing new diagnostic tools, drugs, devices and treatment options for patients, that are translated into practice, reach the people and populations for whom they are intended and are implemented correctly. The implication is of a unidirectional flow from “the bench to bedside”. The rapidly emergent field of additive manufacturing (3D printing) is contributing to a major shift in translational medical research. This includes the concept of bidirectional or reverse translation, early collaboration between clinicians, bio-engineers and basic scientists, and an increasingly entrepreneurial mindset. This coincides with, and is strongly complemented by, the rise of systems biology. The rapid pace at which this type of translational research can occur brings a variety of potential pitfalls and ethical concerns. Regulation surrounding implantable medical devices is struggling to keep up. 3D printing has opened the way for personalization which can make clinical outcomes hard to assess and risks putting the individual before the community. In some instances, novelty and hype has led to loss of transparency of outcomes with dire consequence. Collaboration with commercial partners has potential for conflict of interest. Nevertheless, 3D printing has dramatically changed the landscape of translational research. With early recognition and management of the potential risks, the benefits of reshaping the approach to translational research are enormous. This impact will extend into many other areas of biomedical research, re-establishing that science is more than a body of research. It is a way of thinking.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 748-752
Author(s):  
Swapnali Khabade ◽  
Bharat Rathi ◽  
Renu Rathi

A novel, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), causes severe acute respiratory syndrome and spread globally from Wuhan, China. In March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the SARS-Cov-2 virus as a COVID- 19, a global pandemic. This pandemic happened to be followed by some restrictions, and specially lockdown playing the leading role for the people to get disassociated with their personal and social schedules. And now the food is the most necessary thing to take care of. It seems the new challenge for the individual is self-isolation to maintain themselves on the health basis and fight against the pandemic situation by boosting their immunity. Food organised by proper diet may maintain the physical and mental health of the individual. Ayurveda aims to promote and preserve the health, strength and the longevity of the healthy person and to cure the disease by properly channelling with and without Ahara. In Ayurveda, diet (Ahara) is considered as one of the critical pillars of life, and Langhana plays an important role too. This article will review the relevance of dietetic approach described in Ayurveda with and without food (Asthavidhi visheshaytana & Lanhgan) during COVID-19 like a pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
See Seng Tan

Abstract: The longstanding effort to develop a people-based regionalism in Southeast Asia has been shaped by an inherent tension between the liberal inclination to privilege the individual and the community under formation, on the one hand, and the realist insistence on the primacy of the state, on the other. This article explores the conditions and constraints affecting ASEAN’s progress in remaking Southeast Asia into a people-focused and caring community in three areas: disaster management, development, and democratization (understood here as human rights). Arguably, the persistent gap in Southeast Asia between aspiration and expectation is determined less by political ideology than by the pragmatic responses of ASEAN member states to the forces of nationalism and protectionism, as well as their respective sense of local and regional responsibility.Resumen: El esfuerzo histórico para desarrollar un regionalismo basado en las personas del sudeste de Asia ha estado marcado por una tensión fundamental entre la inclinación liberal de privilegiar el individuo y la comunidad y la insistencia realista sobre la primacía del estado. Este artículo explora las condiciones y limitaciones que afectan el progreso de la ASEAN en la reestructuración de Asia sudoriental en una comunidad centrada en el cuidado de las personas en: gestión de desastres, desarrollo y democratización (i.e., derechos humanos). La brecha persistente en el sudeste asiático entre la aspiración y la expectativa está determinada por las respuestas pragmáticas de los miembros de la ASEAN sometidos a las fuerzas del nacionalismo y proteccionismo, así como su respectivo sentido de responsabilidad local y regional.Résumé: L’effort historique pour développer un régionalisme fondé sur les peuples en Asie du Sud-Est a été marqué par une tension fondamentale entre l’inclination libérale qui privilégie, d’une part, l’individu et la communauté et, d’autre part, l’insistance réaliste sur la primauté de l’État. Cet article explore les conditions et les contraintes qui nuisent aux progrès de l’ANASE dans le cadre d’une refonte de l’Asie du Sud-Est en une communauté centrée et attentive aux peuples dans trois domaines : la gestion des désastres, le développement et la démocratisation (en référence aux droits humains). Le fossé persistant en Asie du Sud-Est entre les aspirations et les attentes est vraisemblablement moins déterminé par l’idéologie politique que par les réponses pragmatiques des États membres de l’ANASE soumis aux forces du nationalisme et du protectionnisme ainsi que par leur sens respectif de la responsabilité locale et régionale.


Author(s):  
Dr.Prachyakorn Chaiyakot ◽  
Wachara Chaiyakhet ◽  
Dr.Woraluck Lalitsasivimol ◽  
Dr.Siriluck Thongpoon

Songkhla Lake Basin has a long history of at least 6,000 years and has a wide variety of tourism resources including nature, history, beliefs, culture and various traditions of the local people. It covers 3 provinces, the whole area of Phatthalung, 12 districts of Songkhla and 2 districts of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. It has an area of approximately 8,727 square kilometers. There are many tourist attractions because the basin has a long history through different eras, natural, historic, ancient sites, and the culture of the local people. In 2018, both Thai and foreign tourists visited Songkhla and Phatthalung, which is the main area of Songkhla Lake Basin. The total number of tourists that came was 7,628,813 and 1,641,841 and an income of 68,252.64 and 3,470.96 million baht was generated from each province, respectively (Ministry of Tourism and Sports, 2020). Although Songkhla Lake Basin has various tourist attractions, the promotion of tourism with the involvement of government agencies in the past mainly focused on promoting tourism along with the tourist attractions rather than encouraging tourists to experience and learn the culture of the people living in the area; the culture that reflects the uniqueness of the people in the south. This study, therefore, aims to find creative tourism activities in SLB in order to increase the value of tourism resources, create tourism activities that are aligned with the resources available in the community and increase the number of tourists in the area. Data for this study were collected using a secondary source of data collection method. It was done through a literature review of related documents, texts, magazines, and research which focus on Songkhla Lake Basin as a guideline for designing tourism activities. The field survey was done through twelve community-based tourism sites in SLB to find creative tourism activities. Data on each activity were collected in detail by interviewing the tourism community leaders and the local people. Content analysis was used to describe the individual open-ended questions by focusing on the important issues and the information obtained was presented as a narrative. Keywords: Songkhla Lake Basin, Creative Tourism, Local Wisdom


2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neema Murembe ◽  
Teddy Kyomuhangi ◽  
Kimberly Manalili ◽  
Florence Beinempaka ◽  
Primrose Nakazibwe ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Vulnerability at the individual, family, community or organization level affects access and utilization of health services, and is a key consideration for health equity. Several frameworks have been used to explore the concept of vulnerability and identified demographics including ethnicity, economic class, level of education, and geographical location. While the magnitude of vulnerable populations is not clearly documented and understood, specific indicators, such as extreme poverty, show that vulnerability among women is pervasive. Women in low and middle-income countries often do not control economic resources and are culturally disadvantaged, which exacerbates other vulnerabilities they experience. In this commentary, we explore the different understandings of vulnerability and the importance of engaging communities in defining vulnerability for research, as well as for programming and provision of maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) services. Methodology In a recent community-based qualitative study, we examined the healthcare utilization experiences of vulnerable women with MNCH services in rural southwestern Uganda. Focus group discussions were conducted with community leaders and community health workers in two districts of Southwestern Uganda. In addition, we did individual interviews with women living in extreme poverty and having other conventional vulnerability characteristics. Findings and discussion We found that the traditional criteria of vulnerability were insufficient to identify categories of vulnerable women to target in the context of MNCH programming and service provision in resource-limited settings. Through our engagement with communities and through the narratives of the people we interviewed, we obtained insight into how nuanced vulnerability can be, and how important it is to ground definitions of vulnerability within the specific context. We identified additional aspects of vulnerability through this study, including: women who suffer from alcoholism or have husbands with alcoholism, women with a history of home births, women that have given birth only to girls, and those living on fishing sites. Conclusion Engaging communities in defining vulnerability is critical for the effective design, implementation and monitoring of MNCH programs, as it ensures these services are reaching those who are most in need.


2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (03) ◽  
pp. 335-343
Author(s):  
Kuldeep Singh ◽  
Shahin Nooreyezdan

AbstractInjectable filler treatments have increased in popularity because of enhanced safety profile and improved physical characteristics. ISAPS (International Society of Plastic Surgery) put out global data showing 3.7 million hyaluronic acid (HA) filler procedures in 2018, making it the second most often performed procedure in the world, after botulinum toxin. And these are only ‘those’ performed by qualified plastic surgeons. There was a concomitant increase in both the nonvascular and vascular complications, which coincided with the number and type of filler procedures performed. Filler complications were reviewed from existing literature, and an attempt was made to understand etiology, elucidate clinical features, and clarify optimum treatment strategies for each. Complications can be early or delayed in presentation, early consisting of injection site complications like bruising, edema, and hypersensitivity, Tyndall effect, and intravascular injection. Delayed complications included hypersensitivity type IV, acute infections like cellulitis, abscesses, and herpes and delayed ones like granulomas, biofilms, and atypical mycobacterial infections. These were analyzed and treatment options, protocols, and consensus guidelines were suggested. A clear understanding of facial anatomy, physical characteristics of all fillers used, early recognition, and treatment options of complications will ensure optimum outcomes.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Elizabeth L. Lieu ◽  
Neil Kelekar ◽  
Pratibha Bhalla ◽  
Jiyeon Kim

History suggests that tasteful properties of sugar have been domesticated as far back as 8000 BCE. With origins in New Guinea, the cultivation of sugar quickly spread over centuries of conquest and trade. The product, which quickly integrated into common foods and onto kitchen tables, is sucrose, which is made up of glucose and fructose dimers. While sugar is commonly associated with flavor, there is a myriad of biochemical properties that explain how sugars as biological molecules function in physiological contexts. Substantial research and reviews have been done on the role of glucose in disease. This review aims to describe the role of its isomers, fructose and mannose, in the context of inborn errors of metabolism and other metabolic diseases, such as cancer. While structurally similar, fructose and mannose give rise to very differing biochemical properties and understanding these differences will guide the development of more effective therapies for metabolic disease. We will discuss pathophysiology linked to perturbations in fructose and mannose metabolism, diagnostic tools, and treatment options of the diseases.


2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mick G. Mack ◽  
Brian G. Ragan

Abstract Context: The assessment of an individual's mental toughness would assist clinicians in enhancing an individual's performance, improving compliance with the rehabilitation program, and improving the individual treatment program. However, no sound measure of mental toughness exists. Objective: To develop a new measure of mental toughness, the Mental, Emotional, and Bodily Toughness Inventory (MeBTough). Design: Participants were invited to complete a 45-item questionnaire. Setting: University research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 261 undergraduate students were recruited to complete the questionnaire. Main Outcome Measure(s): The Rasch-calibrated item difficulties, fit statistics, and persons' mental toughness ability estimates were examined for model-data fit of the MeBTough. Results: Forty-three of the 45 items had good model-data fit with acceptable fit statistics. Results indicated that the distribution of items was fittingly targeted to the people and the collapsed rating scale functioned well. The item separation index (6.31) and separation reliability statistic (.98) provided evidence that the items had good variability with a high degree of confidence in replicating placement of the items from another sample. Conclusions: Results provided support for using the new measure of mental, emotional, and bodily toughness.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1753495X2098401
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Giannakou

Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of neonatal and maternal mortality and morbidity that complicates approximately 2–8% of all pregnancies worldwide. The precise cause of pre-eclampsia is not completely understood, with several environmental, genetic, and maternal factors involved in its pathogenesis and pathophysiology. An accurate predictor of pre-eclampsia will facilitate early recognition, close surveillance according to the individual risk and early intervention, and reduce the negative consequences of the disorder. Current evidence shows that no single test predicts pre-eclampsia with sufficient accuracy to be clinically useful. A combination of markers into multiparametric models may provide a more useful and feasible predictive tool for pre-eclampsia screening in the routine care setting than a test of either component alone. This review presents a summary of the current advances on prediction of pre-eclampsia, highlighting their performance and applicability. Key priorities when conducting research on predicting pre-eclampsia are also analyzed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 132 (6) ◽  
pp. 332-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Fabiano Machado Rosa ◽  
Willy Francisco Bartel D'Ecclesiis ◽  
Raquel Papandreus Dibbi ◽  
Rosana Cardoso Manique Rosa ◽  
Patrícia Trevisan ◽  
...  

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: 45,X/46,XY mosaicism, or mixed gonadal dysgenesis, is considered to be a rare disorder of sex development. The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical and cytogenetic characteristics of patients with this mosaicism.DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective study in a referral hospital in southern Brazil.METHODS: Our sample consisted of patients diagnosed at the clinical genetics service of a referral hospital in southern Brazil, from 1975 to 2012. Clinical and cytogenetic data were collected from the medical records.RESULTS: Fourteen patients were included in the sample, with ages at the first evaluation ranging from 2 days to 38 years. Nine of them had female sex of rearing and five, male. Regarding the external genitalia, most were ambiguous (n = 10). One patient presented male phenotype and was treated for a history of azoospermia, while three patients presented female phenotype, of whom two had findings of Turner syndrome and one presented secondary amenorrhea alone. Some findings of Turner syndrome were observed even among patients with ambiguous genitalia. None presented gonadal malignancy. One patient underwent surgical correction for genital ambiguity and subsequent exchange of sex of rearing. Regarding cytogenetics, we did not observe any direct correlation between percentages of cell lines and phenotype.CONCLUSIONS: 45,X/46,XY mosaicism can present with a wide variety of phenotypes resulting from the involvement of different aspects of the individual. All these observations have important implications for early recognition of these patients and their appropriate management.


Author(s):  
Michael C. Hawley

By any metric, Cicero’s works are some of the most widely read in the history of Western thought. This book suggests that perhaps Cicero’s most lasting and significant contribution to philosophy lies in helping to inspire the development of liberalism. Individual rights, the protection of private property, and political legitimacy based on the consent of the governed are often taken to be among early modern liberalism’s unique innovations and part of its rebellion against classical thought. However, this book demonstrates that Cicero’s thought played a central role in shaping and inspiring the liberal republican project. Cicero argued that liberty for individuals could arise only in a res publica in which the claims of the people to be sovereign were somehow united with a commitment to universal moral law, which limits what the people can rightfully do. Figures such as Hugo Grotius, John Locke, and John Adams sought to work through the tensions in Cicero’s vision, laying the groundwork for a theory of politics in which the freedom of the individual and the people’s collective right to rule were mediated by natural law. This book traces the development of this intellectual tradition from Cicero’s original articulation through the American founding. It concludes by exploring how modern political ideas remain dependent on the conception of just politics first elaborated by Rome’s great philosopher-statesman.


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