scholarly journals Plant Biosystems Design Research Roadmap 1.0

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Xiaohan Yang ◽  
June I. Medford ◽  
Kasey Markel ◽  
Patrick M. Shih ◽  
Henrique C. De Paoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Design Research ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Genetic Circuit ◽  
World Population ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Genetically Improved

Human life intimately depends on plants for food, biomaterials, health, energy, and a sustainable environment. Various plants have been genetically improved mostly through breeding, along with limited modification via genetic engineering, yet they are still not able to meet the ever-increasing needs, in terms of both quantity and quality, resulting from the rapid increase in world population and expected standards of living. A step change that may address these challenges would be to expand the potential of plants using biosystems design approaches. This represents a shift in plant science research from relatively simple trial-and-error approaches to innovative strategies based on predictive models of biological systems. Plant biosystems design seeks to accelerate plant genetic improvement using genome editing and genetic circuit engineering or create novel plant systems through de novo synthesis of plant genomes. From this perspective, we present a comprehensive roadmap of plant biosystems design covering theories, principles, and technical methods, along with potential applications in basic and applied plant biology research. We highlight current challenges, future opportunities, and research priorities, along with a framework for international collaboration, towards rapid advancement of this emerging interdisciplinary area of research. Finally, we discuss the importance of social responsibility in utilizing plant biosystems design and suggest strategies for improving public perception, trust, and acceptance.

scholarly journals Contamination of Asian herbal drugs : Need for its critical evaluation

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.K. Gupta ◽  
G. Prasad ◽  
A.K. Chopra ◽  
D.R. Khanna
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Severe Adverse Effect ◽  
World Population ◽  
Herbal Drugs ◽  
Human Pathogens ◽  
Dual Action

Herbal drugs have been used as remedies for the treatment of large number of humans, ailments since ancient times as the traditional medicine system; India has a glorious past, having first documented record of fully developed medical science known as Ayurveda written by several ancient Rishi’s. Major groups of indigenous system of medicine are based on herbal drugs. A survey made by WHO indicated that about 80% of the world population relies on herbal drugs. Herbal drugs are becoming more popularized and important even in the developednations with hope of their non-toxicity and may play a role of substitute to overcome the problems of multi drug resistant pathogens. Cultivation of drug plants has been started in large scale without considering the land quality and in certain cases irrigation with waste water. Application of different fungicides, pesticides in that specific field or in neighboring fields may be directly deposited superficially or may be absorbed by the plant system. Therefore in the present situation possibilities of the Asian herbal drugs, contaminated with large number of toxic components cannot be ignored which may severely hurt human life in place of healing or curing.These contaminants may be either alone or in combination and may be originated intrinsically, extrinsically and deliberately. Certain contaminants may be highly toxic and may cause severe adverse effect in the human system. Some of the important contaminants are the heavy metals like lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, copper and pesticides. Adulteration of modern drugs to enhance drug potency and heterogenous microbial population including human pathogens may contaminate both raw and powdered herbal drugs. Among these contaminants, microbial contamination seems more severe and may be due to their dual action on the drug i.e. utilization of medicinally important chemical components as nutrients and in certain cases by producing certain mycotoxins, which may be even carcinogenic under certain conditions . Critical evaluation of both raw and powdered herbal drugs for contaminants is the urgent need of the time in order to provide safety measures in herbal health care medicine.

scholarly journals Two distinct clinical patterns of checkpoint inhibitor-induced thyroid dysfunction

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Olsson-Brown ◽  
Rosemary Lord ◽  
Joseph Sacco ◽  
Jonathan Wagg ◽  
Mark Coles ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thyroid Dysfunction ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Clinical Phenotype ◽  
Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽  
Hormone Replacement ◽  
World Population ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Antibody Titres ◽  
Clinical Patterns ◽  
Regional Cancer Centre

Introduction Immune checkpoint inhibitors can lead to thyroid dysfunction. However, the understanding of the clinical phenotype of ICI-induced thyroid dysfunction in the real-world population is limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the clinical patterns of dysfunction and evaluate the demographic, biochemical and immunological features associated with this patient cohort. Materials and methods To characterise the longitudinal clinical course of thyroid dysfunction in patients from a single, UK regional cancer centre, a retrospective review of patients was conducted. Inclusion criteria included all patients treated with antiPD-1 checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), either as monotherapy (pembrolizumab/nivolumab) or in combination with a CTLA-4 inhibitor (ipilimumab). Patterns of toxicity were evaluated together with assessment of antibody titres. Results Over 16 months, thyroid dysfunction was seen in 13/90 and 3/13 patients treated with anti-PD1 monotherapy and in combination with ipilimumab, respectively. Patients either developed hyperthyroidism followed by hypothyroidism (12/16) or de novo hypothyroidism (4/16). Most patients were female (n = 11). All patients required thyroid replacement therapy. There was no relationship between clinical pattern of dysfunction and the presence of thyroid autoantibodies. Conclusions There are two distinct patterns of thyroid dysfunction in ICI-treated patients. Patients with thyroiditis develop subsequent hypothyroidism in the vast majority of cases. The potential benefit from steroids or other therapy to manage the hyperthyroid phase remains unclear. Early detection of these patients through appropriate monitoring will improve clinical management and early hormone replacement, reducing the symptomatic burden of hypothyroidism.

scholarly journals Structural basis for VPg-induced formation of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase multimeric complexes

2014 ◽  
Vol 70 (a1) ◽  
pp. C1601-C1601
Author(s):  
Ji-Hye Lee ◽  
Yeon Bin Chung ◽  
Jong Hyeon Seok ◽  
Kang Rok Han ◽  
Sella Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Helical Structure ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Murine Norovirus ◽  
Virion Protein ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase

Norovirus is the leading cause of epidemic acute, nonbacterial gastroenteritis, and adopts de novo and VPg (Virion protein genome linked)-primed RNA synthesis by RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). To understand the interaction between RdRp and VPg in replication of murine norovirus-1 (MNV-1), we determined the crystal structure of MNV-1 RdRp-VPg(1-73)-RNA complex. VPg was bound to the base of the palm domain and the tip of the fingers domain of RdRp simultaneously, but RNA template could not be modeled. The binding affinity constants (Kd) for RdRp-VPg was 3.7411.57 nM and VPg(1-73) showed approximately 90-fold less affinity than that of full-length VPg. In addition to this multiple binding mode, VPg enhanced the interactions of RdRp hexamers, leading to the formation of high-order multimers or tubular fibrils with significantly increased polymerase activity, confirmed by electron microscopic and biochemical studies. Our data indicated that MNV-1 VPg with helical structure was bound to RdRp at multiple sites and induces RdRp multimerization in viral replication. The multimers of RdRp-VPg-RNA can provide a mechanistic understanding of viral polymerase multimeric arrays and a new tool for development of antivirals to control norovirus outbreaks. This work was supported by a grant of the Korea Healthcare Technology R&D Project, Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs (A085119 K.H.K), Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation (NRF-2013R1A1A2064940, L.J-H), Korea University Grant (L.J-H), and the BK21 plus program of the Ministry of Education, Korea.

Designing for Psychogeriatric Care

1989 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-24
Author(s):  
Douglas H. Rapelje
Keyword(s):  
Public Perception ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Term Care ◽  
The Public ◽  
Overall Design ◽  
Near Term ◽  
Dining Room ◽  
Term Objective

After two years of design research, the near-term goal of the Senior Citizens Department, Regional Niagara, was to build innovative homes to address the issues and programs the studies revealed. The long-term objective was to build homes that would start to change the public perception of long-term care facilities. Featuringa “Town Square”, the home comprises five houses of 20 beds, each providing a different level of care. Corridors are a unique design, and each house has its own dining room facilities and activity room. A central Day Care lounge features dining room facilities for family and friends. The Department hopes the overall design will help to break down the stereotype image of long-term care design, an d provide a suitable environment for the mentally and physically frail, as well as ambulatory residents.

scholarly journals IMPLEMENTASI PENDIDIKAN BERBASIS ADAB DALAM PENGEMBANGAN KARAKTER

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-72
Author(s):  
Khubni Maghfirotun ◽  
Eka Nur Mahzumah
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Boarding School ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Patterns Of Behavior ◽  
Religious Concept ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior

The morality / character of the nation's students has collapsed. This is marked by the rise of bullying, child anarchism, mass contests, free sex and so on. Seeing the importance of the role of etiquette in human life, the education world should think more seriously about the concept of planting etiquette in its students, so that the introduction and cultivation of etiquette must begin at an early age. Rasulullah SAW has taught that the example is the main factor of success in educating children. Exemplary is also the best method in children's education, especially in the early childhood period. On this basis the research formulated the formulation of the problem namely (1) How is the concept of Adab in SDI Ar-Roudloh Miru? (2) How is the Implementation of Adab Based Education in SDI Ar-Roudloh Miru-Sekaran-Lamongan? This study uses qualitative research and case studies as its research design. Research subjects in this study were students at SDI Ar-Roudloh. Data collection techniques used were observation, semistructural interviews and documentation. Data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The data checking technique uses triangulation techniques. The results of this study include: (1) the formation of students' character at SDI Ar Roudloh is with the Applicative Religious concept. This is evidenced by the existence of Boarding School since students go up to fourth grade. This is expected to be more intensive in applying civilized values ​​that are prioritized by the institution. The etiquette values ​​emphasized and prioritized at SDI Ar Roudloh in this case are divided into three aspects namely; Judging from the pattern of attitudes and behavior to God, patterns of behavior to fellow human beings, patterns of behavior to nature. (2) in implementing civilized education for the formation of students' character by applying the religious concept with the details of the sub-chapters above, there are several stages in order to obtain maximum results, before implementing and informing the values ​​of civilized education to students. In this case the researcher classifies into three stages; first; Socialization, second; Implementation and third; Evaluation.  

Survey Results on Environmental Issues and Weed Science Research Priorities within the Corn Belt

1993 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 763-770 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward W. Stoller ◽  
Loyd M. Wax ◽  
David M. Alm
Keyword(s):  
Weed Control ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Cultural Control ◽  
Corn Belt ◽  
Weed Species ◽  
Weed Science

A survey determined the views of individuals in seven groups comprising the weed science community in the corn belt (primarily in Illinois) for importance of 8 environmental and 14 crop production issues and 16 weed species in setting weed science research priorities for the next 3 to 5 yr. The survey also considered if funding of research to solve these environmental and production issues should be from the private or public sector. Velvetleaf, foxtail species, and common lambsquarters were considered the top three weed species by all respondents, and each of these weeds was among the five most important weeds within each of the seven survey groups. Improving ground and surface water quality were the foremost environmental issues for all respondents, but soybean growers listed herbicide carryover as their top environmental concern. Reducing herbicide residues in food and developing sustainable practices were given low preference by all groups. Sustainable growers rated reducing herbicide carryover and minimizing applicator exposure as their lowest priorities. Among all respondents, the top three production issues were improved weed control in conservation tillage, more economical weed control, and improved integrated control strategies. Studying the biology/life cycles of weeds was the third highest production priority of University and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) weed scientists, but was the last choice when averaged over the aggregate survey group. Developing strategies for resistant weeds and herbicide-resistant crops were chemical dealers top two priorities. Industry representatives gave the former subject their highest rating and the latter their lowest rating. Crop consultants seemed to want decision aids, as they chose assessing weed loss/thresholds and developing weed control/economic models among their top three production issues. Both corn and soybean growers desired more economical weed control as a first choice, while sustainable growers wanted improved cultural control strategies. Corn and soybean growers ranked developing new herbicides among their top three choices, but this issue was the lowest choice of the sustainable growers. University, USDA, and industrial weed scientists suggested that their own organizations conduct the research on their highest priorities issues.

The Coalition of cancer cooperative groups GI scientific leadership council

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (18_suppl) ◽  
pp. 13522-13522
Author(s):  
R. B. Catalano ◽  
R. L. Comis ◽  
M. J. O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Pharmaceutical Industry ◽  
Research Priorities ◽  
Science Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Cancer Clinical Trials ◽  
Cooperative Groups ◽  
Patient Advocate

13522 Background: The Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups convened the GI Scientific Leadership Council (GI SLC) to provide leadership in establishing and advancing national research priorities for colorectal cancer clinical trials. A key objective was to complement and enhance the scientific programs of the NCI-sponsored GI Intergroup. Methods: A multidisciplinary group of investigators representing the spectrum of diagnostic, therapeutic, and laboratory disciplines engaged in colorectal cancer clinical research was convened in December 2004 to address the most important research opportunities in colorectal cancer, and clinical trials to address those opportunities. In April 2005, the concepts evolved were discussed with representatives of the patient advocate community and the pharmaceutical industry. In December 2005 the GI SLC presented its core research recommendations to more than 100 members of the cancer community. Results: Seven principal cross-cutting themes emerged, as well as ten strategic recommendations to be addressed over the next three years. A portfolio of high priority clinical trials was identified. The GI SLC has prioritized support for three colon cancer surgical adjuvant trials; two rectal cancer surgical adjuvant trials; two colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver trials; two metastatic colorectal trials; and one colon polyp and cancer detection study trial. These will be detailed in our presentation. Conclusions:The GI Scientific Leadership Council represents a novel approach to strengthen colorectal cancer clinical trials and correlative science research in the United States by providing a platform to bring together clinical investigators and translational researchers, the patient advocate community, and the pharmaceutical industry. The GI SLC plans to convene a Cancer Prevention Advisory Group in the first quarter of 2006 and plans to initiate one or more innovative clinical trials in collaboration with industry in 2006. The GI SLC will meet throughout 2006 to develop action plans, review progress towards those plans, and facilitate adoption of the research priorities across the cancer community. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Undergraduate research experiences: Impacts and opportunities

Science ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 347 (6222) ◽  
pp. 1261757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia C. Linn ◽  
Erin Palmer ◽  
Anne Baranger ◽  
Elizabeth Gerard ◽  
Elisa Stone
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Undergraduate Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Multiple Indicators ◽  
Rigorous Research ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Indicators Of Success

Most undergraduates give high ratings to research experiences. Studies report that these experiences improve participation and persistence, often by strengthening students’ views of themselves as scientists. Yet, the evidence for these claims is weak. More than half the 60 studies reviewed rely on self-report surveys or interviews. Rather than introducing new images of science, research experiences may reinforce flawed images especially of research practices and conceptual understanding. The most convincing studies show benefits for mentoring and for communicating the nature of science, but the ideas that students learn are often isolated or fragmented rather than integrated and coherent. Rigorous research is needed to identify ways to design research experiences so that they promote integrated understanding. These studies need powerful and generalizable assessments that can document student progress, help distinguish effective and ineffective aspects of the experiences, and illustrate how students interpret the research experiences they encounter. To create research experiences that meet the needs of interested students and make effective use of scarce resources, we encourage systematic, iterative studies with multiple indicators of success.

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