scholarly journals Perspectives on Complexity, Chaos and Thermodynamics in Environmental Pathology

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5766
Author(s):  
Maurizio Manera
Keyword(s):  
Chaos Theory ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Complexity Science ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Intrinsic Complexity ◽  
Biological Interfaces ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Molecule Interactions ◽  
Medical Disciplines

Though complexity science and chaos theory have become a common scientific divulgation theme, medical disciplines, and pathology in particular, still rely on a deterministic, reductionistic approach and still hesitate to fully appreciate the intrinsic complexity of living beings. Herein, complexity, chaos and thermodynamics are introduced with specific regard to biomedical sciences, then their interconnections and implications in environmental pathology are discussed, with particular regard to a morphopathological, image analysis-based approach to biological interfaces. Biomedical disciplines traditionally approach living organisms by dissecting them ideally down to the molecular level in order to gain information about possible molecule to molecule interactions, to derive their macroscopic behaviour. Given the complex and chaotic behaviour of living systems, this approach is extremely limited in terms of obtainable information and may lead to misinterpretation. Environmental pathology, as a multidisciplinary discipline, should grant privilege to an integrated, possibly systemic approach, prone to manage the complex and chaotic aspects characterizing living organisms. Ultimately, environmental pathology should be interested in improving the well-being of individuals and the population, and ideally the health of the entire ecosystem/biosphere and should not focus merely on single diseases, diseased organs/tissues, cells and/or molecules.

Narrative as active inference

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nabil Bouizegarene ◽  
maxwell ramstead ◽  
Axel Constant ◽  
Karl Friston ◽  
Laurence Kirmayer
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Social Practices ◽  
Human Adaptation ◽  
Active Inference ◽  
Future Projection ◽  
Future Developments ◽  
The Social ◽  
Parsimonious Model ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Theory Research

The ubiquity and importance of narratives in human adaptation has been recognized by many scholars. Research has identified several functions of narratives that are conducive to individuals’ well-being and adaptation as well as to coordinated social practices and enculturation. In this paper, we characterize the social and cognitive functions of narratives in terms of the framework of active inference. Active inference depicts the fundamental tendency of living organisms to adapt by creating, updating, and maintaining inferences about their environment. We review the literature on the functions of narratives in identity, event segmentation, episodic memory, future projection, storytelling practices, and enculturation. We then re-cast these functions of narratives in terms of active inference, outlining a parsimonious model that can guide future developments in narrative theory, research, and clinical applications.

scholarly journals Functionalization Strategies of PEDOT and PEDOT:PSS Films for Organic Bioelectronics Applications

Chemosensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Gonzalo E. Fenoy ◽  
Omar Azzaroni ◽  
Wolfgang Knoll ◽  
Waldemar A. Marmisollé
Keyword(s):  
Small Molecules ◽  
Conducting Polymer ◽  
Organic Semiconductors ◽  
Synthesis Method ◽  
Polymer Synthesis ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Electrophysiological Signals ◽  
Organic Bioelectronics ◽  
Biological Interfaces ◽  
Living Organisms

Organic bioelectronics involves the connection of organic semiconductors with living organisms, organs, tissues, cells, membranes, proteins, and even small molecules. In recent years, this field has received great interest due to the development of all kinds of devices architectures, enabling the detection of several relevant biomarkers, the stimulation and sensing of cells and tissues, and the recording of electrophysiological signals, among others. In this review, we discuss recent functionalization approaches for PEDOT and PEDOT:PSS films with the aim of integrating biomolecules for the fabrication of bioelectronics platforms. As the choice of the strategy is determined by the conducting polymer synthesis method, initially PEDOT and PEDOT:PSS films preparation methods are presented. Later, a wide variety of PEDOT functionalization approaches are discussed, together with bioconjugation techniques to develop efficient organic-biological interfaces. Finally, and by making use of these approaches, the fabrication of different platforms towards organic bioelectronics devices is reviewed.

Addressing the mental health needs of learners and nonlearners in an academic medical center during COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Zina V. Peters ◽  
Lynn N. Norwood ◽  
Hetal P. Modi ◽  
Heather Goodman ◽  
Peggy H. Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Behavioral Health Care ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Individual Therapy ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Therapy Services

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has impacted life for people throughout the world, especially for those in health care who experience unique stressors. To support the psychological needs of staff, faculty, and learners at a biomedical sciences university, faculty at Baylor College of Medicine created a mental health and wellness support program consisting of multiple behavioral health care pathways, including phone support, a self-guided mental health app, a coping skills group, and individual therapy services. The authors present this program as a model for academic institutions to support the well-being of faculty, staff, and learners.

scholarly journals Are the biomedical sciences ready for synthetic biology?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31
Author(s):  
Maxwell S. DeNies ◽  
Allen P. Liu ◽  
Santiago Schnell
Keyword(s):  
Synthetic Biology ◽  
Biomedical Research ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Biological Systems ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Functional System ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Experimental Control ◽  
Discovery Science

AbstractThe ability to construct a functional system from its individual components is foundational to understanding how it works. Synthetic biology is a broad field that draws from principles of engineering and computer science to create new biological systems or parts with novel function. While this has drawn well-deserved acclaim within the biotechnology community, application of synthetic biology methodologies to study biological systems has potential to fundamentally change how biomedical research is conducted by providing researchers with improved experimental control. While the concepts behind synthetic biology are not new, we present evidence supporting why the current research environment is conducive for integration of synthetic biology approaches within biomedical research. In this perspective we explore the idea of synthetic biology as a discovery science research tool and provide examples of both top-down and bottom-up approaches that have already been used to answer important physiology questions at both the organismal and molecular level.

Can the convergence between the human sciences and biomedical sciences?

10.12737/7653 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 62-73
Author(s):  
Гудкова ◽  
S. Gudkova ◽  
Джумагалиева ◽  
L. Dzhumagalieva ◽  
Хадарцева ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chaos Theory ◽  
Quantitative Description ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Self Organization ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
Transitional Stage ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
The Third ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
General Scientific

Interdisciplinarity and intersubjectivity between two types of general scientific theories (humanities and natural sciences) is not in doubt. The problem arises more interaction accurate humanities at the level of convergence. Transitional stage in this convergence are the science of living systems (biology, medicine, ecology), which in general research methods and occupy an intermediate position between the humanities and the natural sciences. The basis for this convergence must be new ideas about systems of the third type, which is defined as a philosophy postnonclassic (V.S. Stepin), and in the natural sciences – as chaos theory, self-organization (for quantitative description of the systems of the third type). Discusses general approaches in the humanities from the perspective of the classics, nonclassic, postnonclassic and third paradigm.

scholarly journals Biomedical graduate student experiences during the COVID-19 university closure

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0256687
Author(s):  
Janani Varadarajan ◽  
Abigail M. Brown ◽  
Roger Chalkley
Keyword(s):  
Psychological Health ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Well Being ◽  
First Year ◽  
Biomedical Sciences ◽  
Spring Semester ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
The University ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Remote Learning

COVID-19-associated university closures moved classes online and interrupted ongoing research in universities throughout the US. In Vanderbilt University, first year biomedical sciences PhD students were in the middle of their spring semester coursework and in the process of identifying a thesis research lab, while senior students who had already completed the first year were at various stages of their graduate training and were working on their thesis research projects. To learn how the university closure and resulting interruptions impacted our students’ learning and well-being, we administered two surveys, one to the first year students and the other to the senior students. Our main findings show that the university closure negatively impacted the overall psychological health of about one-third of the survey respondents, time management was the aspect of remote learning that caused the highest stress for close to 50% of the students, and interaction with their peers and in-person discussions were the aspects of on-campus learning that students missed the most during the remote learning period. Additionally, survey responses also show that students experienced positive outcomes as a result of remote learning that included spending increased time on additional learning interests, with family, on self-care, and for dissertation or manuscript writing. Though a variety of supportive resources are already available to students in our institution, results from our survey suggest enhancing these measures and identifying new ones targeted to addressing the academic and emotional needs of PhD students would be beneficial. Such support measures may be appropriate for students in other institutions as well.

scholarly journals Protection of avifauna for the provision of the Kyiv urban ecosystem stability

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 60-64
Author(s):  
М. М. Radomska ◽  
I. V. Horobtsov
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Urban Territories ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
A Chain ◽  
The Stability

The transformation of ecosystems at urban territories imposes serious threats to the well-being of its inhabitants, both human and non-human. Modern cities represent a random combination of natural and technogenic landscapes, which often have no connections, and therefore are not able to support animal populations. However, the stability of such clustered ecosystem is impossible without the provision of stable flow of energy and matter ensured by living organisms. Being vulnerable to the negative factors of the urban environment, animals are also able to reflect its condition, so by contributing to the diversity of urban fauna it is possible to increase the overall quality of living conditions in a city. However, animals in cities are represented by insects, rodents, domesticated animals and single ubiquist organism, which either cannot be monitored, form real populations or are not desired. Therefore birds are considered to be that part of zoocenosis, which are worth investing efforts in support and development. The research has been conducted to study the avifauna of Kyiv City and major threats to its diversity and populations. The major risks for birds at the territory of Kyiv are formed by the fragmentation of natural landscapes, introduction of new species, pollution of the environment, waste accumulation and physical factors of pollution, namely light and noise. In order to provide the conservation of existing bird associations it is offered to unite a chain of landscapes, joined by close location, well preserved phytocoenosis and favourable conditions for birds' living activity, into protected objects with corresponding legal status. The fundamental element of the future protected areas is chosen to be water bodies of the city. The analysis of suitable and available areas has output a structure of 4 cores, based on lakes of Svytoshynsky, Osokorky, Obolon and Desnyansky districts of Kyiv. They all possess the necessary feature to apply for protected status and are already habitats of urban avifauna. The success of this initiative should be supported by the creation of single management body for all protected areas of Kyiv. The investments in the implementation of the project are estimated and cover organizational and technical actions.

What’s Wrong with Their Mice?

Neuro ◽  
2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolas Rose ◽  
Joelle M. Abi-Rached
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Human Brain ◽  
Molecular Level ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
Laboratory Situation

This chapter discusses the use of animals to explore issues relating to human cognition, emotion, volition, and their pathologies. Researchers who use animal models in their work point to similarities in the genomes of the two species, in the structure of mouse and human brain, in patterns of brain activation, in neural mechanisms at the cellular and molecular level, in responses to drugs and so forth, perhaps with reference to evolution and the principle of conservation across species when it comes to the most basic aspects of living organisms, including their brains. The chapter then examines four interconnected themes: the question of the artificiality of the laboratory situation within which animal experiments are conducted; the idea of a model in behavioral and psychiatric research; the specificity of the human and the elision of history and human sociality; and the problem of translation.

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