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This paper presents an advanced building energy management system (aBEMS) that employs advanced methods of whole-building performance monitoring combined with statistical methods of learning and data analysis to enable identification of both gradual and discrete performance erosion and faults. This system assimilated data collected from multiple sources, including blueprints, reduced-order models (ROM) and measurements, and employed advanced statistical learning algorithms to identify patterns of anomalies. The results were presented graphically in a manner understandable to facilities managers. A demonstration of aBEMS was conducted in buildings at Naval Station Great Lakes. The facility building management systems were extended to incorporate the energy diagnostics and analysis algorithms, producing systematic identification of more efficient operation strategies. At Naval Station Great Lakes, greater than 20% savings were demonstrated for building energy consumption by improving facility manager decision support to diagnose energy faults and prioritize alternative, energy-efficient operation strategies. The paper concludes with recommendations for widespread aBEMS success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The search for memory is one of the oldest quests in written human history. For at least two millennia, we have tried to understand how we learn and remember. We have gradually converged on the brain and looked inside it to find the basis of knowledge, the trace of memory. The search for memory has been conducted on multiple levels, from the organ to the cell to the synapse, and has been distributed across disciplines with less chronological or intellectual overlap than one might hope. Frequently, the study of the mind and its memories has been severely restricted by technological or philosophical limitations. However, in the last few years, certain technologies have emerged, offering new routes of inquiry into the basis of memory. The 2016 Kavli Futures Symposium was devoted to the past and future of memory studies. At the workshop, participants evaluated the logic and data underlying the existing and emerging theories of memory. In this paper, written in the spirit of the workshop, we briefly review the history of the hunt for memory, summarizing some of the key debates at each level of spatial resolution. We then discuss the exciting new opportunities to unravel the mystery of memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent nutritional behaviors are assuming considerable importance in nutrition interventions given their important relationships with medium- and long-term outcomes. This is the period when young people undergo major anatomical and physiological maturational changes in preparation for adulthood. Nutritional requirements during puberty are higher during adolescence than during the prepubertal stage and during adulthood. A significant proportion of adolescents also become parents, and hence the importance of their health and nutritional status before as well as during pregnancy has its impact on their own health, fetal well-being, and newborn health. In this paper, we describe the evidence-based nutrition recommendations and the current global guidance for nutrition actions for adolescents. Despite the limitations of available information, we believe that a range of interventions are feasible to address outcomes in this age group, although some would need to start earlier in childhood. We propose packages of preventive care and management comprising nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions to address adolescent undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. We discuss potential delivery platforms and strategies relevant to low- and middle-income countries. Beyond the evidence synthesis, there is a clear need to translate evidence into policy and for implementation of key recommendations and addressing knowledge gaps through prioritized research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofortification of crops is being introduced in several countries as a strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiencies. Biofortified products, with increased contents of micronutrients, are currently produced by conventional plant breeding, genetic modification, or nutrient-enhanced fertilization. Corn, rice, wheat, beans, pearl millet, sweet potato, and cassava have been biofortified with increased contents of provitamin A carotenoids, iron, or zinc. However, regulatory considerations are rare or nonexistent. The objective of this paper is to review the regulatory framework for production and marketing of biofortified crops in countries that have adopted this strategy. The information was identified using Internet search engines and websites of health and nutrition organizations and nongovernmental organizations and by consulting scientists and government authorities. Thus far, biofortified products introduced in Latin America, Africa, and Asia have been produced only by conventional breeding. Cultivars using other techniques are still under testing. The production and marketing of these products have been conducted without regulatory framework and under limited government control or regulatory guidance. Nevertheless, some countries have integrated biofortified crops into their nutrition agendas. Although improvements by conventional breeding have not been subject to regulations, when biofortification becomes expanded by including other techniques, an appropriate regulatory framework will be necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofortification of staple crops has been proposed as a strategy to address micronutrient malnutrition, particularly with respect to insufficient intake of vitamin A, iron, zinc, and folate. The World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science at the New York Academy of Sciences, convened a technical consultation entitled 'Staple Crops Biofortified with Vitamins and Minerals: Considerations for a Public Health Strategy' in April 2016. Participants of the consultation reviewed the definition of biofortification of staple crops, patterns of crops production, processing, consumption, seed varieties, and micronutrient stability and bioavailability, as well as farmers' adoption and acceptability of the modified crops. Also discussed were economic, environmental, safety, and equity aspects of biofortified crops, as well as legal, policy, regulatory, and ethical issues for the implementation of biofortification strategies in agriculture and nutrition. Consultation working groups identified important and emerging technical issues, lessons learned, and research priorities to better support the evidence of improved nutrition and unintended adverse effects of biofortification. This paper provides the background and rationale of the technical consultation, synopsizes the presentations, and provides a summary of the main considerations proposed by the working groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cross-species transmission of viruses into new host populations, termed virus emergence, is a significant issue in public health, agriculture, wildlife management, and related fields. Virus emergence requires overlap between host populations, alterations in virus genetics to permit infection of new hosts, and adaptation to novel hosts such that between-host transmission is sustainable, all of which are the purview of the fields of ecology and evolution. A firm understanding of the ecology of viruses and how they evolve is required for understanding how and why viruses emerge. In this paper, I address the evolutionary mechanisms of virus emergence and how they relate to virus ecology. I argue that, while virus acquisition of the ability to infect new hosts is not difficult, limited evolutionary trajectories to sustained virus between-host transmission and the combined effects of mutational meltdown, bottlenecking, demographic stochasticity, density dependence, and genetic erosion in ecological sinks limit most emergence events to dead-end spillover infections. Despite the relative rarity of pandemic emerging viruses, the potential of viruses to search evolutionary space and find means to spread epidemically and the consequences of pandemic viruses that do emerge necessitate sustained attention to virus research, surveillance, prophylaxis, and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population health decision makers must consider complex relationships between multiple concepts measured with differential accuracy from heterogeneous data sources. Population health information systems are currently limited in their ability to integrate data and present a coherent portrait of population health. Consequentially, these systems can provide only basic support for decision makers. The Population Health Record (PopHR) is a semantic web application that automates the integration and extraction of massive amounts of heterogeneous data from multiple distributed sources (e.g., administrative data, clinical records, and survey responses) to support the measurement and monitoring of population health and health system performance for a defined population. The design of the PopHR draws on the theories of the determinants of health and evidence-based public health to harmonize and explicitly link information about a population with evidence about the epidemiology and control of chronic diseases. Organizing information in this manner and linking it explicitly to evidence is expected to improve decision making related to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of population health and health system interventions. In this paper, we describe the PopHR platform and discuss the architecture, design, key modules, and its implementation and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Randomized controlled trials can benefit from proactive assessment of how well their participant selection strategies during the design of eligibility criteria can influence the study generalizability. In this paper, we present a quantitative metric called generalizability index for study traits 2.0 (GIST 2.0) to assess the a priori generalizability (based on population representativeness) of a clinical trial by accounting for the dependencies among multiple eligibility criteria. The metric was evaluated on 16 sepsis trials identified from ClinicalTrials.gov, with their adverse event reports extracted from the trial results sections. The correlation between GIST scores and adverse events was analyzed. We found that the GIST 2.0 score was significantly correlated with total adverse events and serious adverse events (weighted correlation coefficients of 0.825 and 0.709, respectively, with P < 0.01). This study exemplifies the promising use of Big Data in electronic health records and ClinicalTrials.gov for optimizing eligibility criteria design for clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big Data is no longer solely the purview of big organizations with big resources. Today's routine tools and experimental methods can generate large slices of data. For example, high-throughput sequencing can quickly interrogate biological systems for the expression levels of thousands of different RNAs, examine epigenetic marks throughout the genome, and detect differences in the genomes of individuals. Multichannel electrophysiology platforms produce gigabytes of data in just a few minutes of recording. Imaging systems generate videos capturing biological behaviors over the course of days. Thus, any researcher now has access to a veritable wealth of data. However, the ability of any given researcher to utilize that data is limited by her/his own resources and skills for downloading, storing, and analyzing the data. In this paper, we examine the necessary resources required to engage Big Data, survey the state of modern data analysis pipelines, present a few data repository case studies, and touch on current institutions and programs supporting the work that relies on Big Data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of human genomics is becoming a Big Data science, owing to recent biotechnological advances leading to availability of millions of personal genome sequences, which can be combined with biometric measurements from mobile apps and fitness trackers, and of human behavior data monitored from mobile devices and social media. With increasing research opportunities for integrative genomic studies through data sharing, genetic privacy emerges as a legitimate yet challenging concern that needs to be carefully addressed, not only for individuals but also for their families. In this paper, we present potential genetic privacy risks and relevant ethics and regulations for sharing and protecting human genomics data. We also describe the techniques for protecting human genetic privacy from three broad perspectives: controlled access, differential privacy, and cryptographic solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a video-based eye-tracking method, ideally deployed via a mobile device or laptop-based webcam, as a tool for measuring brain function. Eye movements and pupillary motility are tightly regulated by brain circuits, are subtly perturbed by many disease states, and are measurable using video-based methods. Quantitative measurement of eye movement by readily available webcams may enable early detection and diagnosis, as well as remote/serial monitoring, of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. We successfully extracted computational and semantic features for 14 testing sessions, comprising 42 individual video blocks and approximately 17,000 image frames generated across several days of testing. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of collecting video-based eye-tracking data from a standard webcam in order to assess psychomotor function. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate through systematic analysis of this data set that eye-tracking features (in particular, radial and tangential variance on a circular visual-tracking paradigm) predict performance on well-validated psychomotor tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In biology, a missing link connecting data generation and data-driven discovery is the training that prepares researchers to effectively manage and analyze data. National and international cyberinfrastructure along with evolving private sector resources place biologists and students within reach of the tools needed for data-intensive biology, but training is still required to make effective use of them. In this concept paper, we review a number of opportunities and challenges that can inform the creation of a national bioinformatics training infrastructure capable of servicing the large number of emerging and existing life scientists. While college curricula are slower to adapt, grassroots startup-spirited organizations, such as Software and Data Carpentry, have made impressive inroads in training on the best practices of software use, development, and data analysis. Given the transformative potential of biology and medicine as full-fledged data sciences, more support is needed to organize, amplify, and assess these efforts and their impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to experimental X-ray diffraction image data is important for validation and reproduction of macromolecular models and indispensable for the development of structural biology processing methods. In response to the evolving needs of the structural biology community, we recently established a diffraction data publication system, the Structural Biology Data Grid (SBDG, data.sbgrid.org), to preserve primary experimental datasets supporting scientific publications. All datasets published through the SBDG are freely available to the research community under a public domain dedication license, with metadata compliant with the DataCite Schema (schema.datacite.org). A proof-of-concept study demonstrated community interest and utility. Publication of large datasets is a challenge shared by several fields, and the SBDG has begun collaborating with the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard University to extend the Dataverse (dataverse.org) open-source data repository system to structural biology datasets. Several extensions are necessary to support the size and metadata requirements for structural biology datasets. In this paper, we describe one such extension-functionality supporting preservation of file system structure within Dataverse-which is essential for both in-place computation and supporting non-HTTP data transfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over 450 peer-reviewed papers containing the keyword Aspergillus fumigatus were published in 2011. Although this method may be an impossible task, I have selected three clusters of papers describing exciting recent advances in research on A. fumigatus. The first is the novel approach of in vivo imagining of experimental aspergillosis by the use of 68Ga-labeled siderophores, internalized by the fungus, and detected via positron emission tomography to image the site infection. This work may lead to improved diagnosis of aspergillosis. The second important finding is that NK lymphocytes, not thought to be involved in host resistance to aspergillosis, can kill aspergilli through direct contact, either through perforin or interferon-γ, or both. The third area pertains to a novel first-in-class antifungal drug, E1210 (Eisai), which inhibits GPI anchoring of fungal-associated cell wall proteins. Thus far, it shows promising in vitro activity against a broad range of fungi including Aspergilli, as well as those that are difficult to treat with currently available therapies. Overall, these three areas demonstrate the exciting promise, progress, and utility of basic research against A. fumigatus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) published in 1995 showed significant improvement in stroke outcome if the drug was administered within 3 hours from stroke onset. Several recent reports, however, show that less than 5% of stroke patients may be receiving t-PA in many parts of North America. This paper explores how this may be improved by examining some of the steps taken in Canada, where a recent audit showed that 8.2% of ischemic stroke patients received t-PA, and in those arriving within 2.5 hours to regional stroke centers in Ontario, 42.2% received t-PA. The paper also reviews the potential for t-PA to be given by more physicians, in remote regions using Telestroke, the possibility for using imaging characteristics rather than the onset of stroke as a determinant of eligibility for t-PA, the status of contraindications for thrombolysis, and the possibility of combining t-PA with immune modulation for improved stroke outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the relationship between the circadian system and glucose metabolism. Research across the translational spectrum confirms the importance of the circadian system for glucose metabolism and offers promising clues as to when and why these systems go awry. In particular, basic research has started to clarify the molecular and genetic mechanisms through which the circadian system regulates metabolism. The study of human behavior, especially in the context of psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder and major depression, forces us to see how inextricably linked mental health and metabolic health are. We also emphasize the remarkable opportunities for advancing circadian science through big data and advanced analytics. Advances in circadian research have translated into environmental and pharmacological interventions with tremendous therapeutic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In my original paper, I claimed that our moral obligations are real, objective, and grounded in the supernatural. In particular, I endorsed the claim that God's will is the basis or source of our moral obligations, where 'God' is to be understood as the theistic being who is omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent, who created the universe, and who is still actively involved in the universe after creating it. In his critical article, Michael Shermer has raised a number of important challenges to my view. Here I try to defend the position and respond to at least his most serious objections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is my critical commentary on Michael Shermer's paper 'Morality is real, objective, and natural.' Shermer and I agree that morality is both real and objective. Here I raise serious reservations about both Shermer's account of where morality comes from and his account of what morality tells us to do. His approach to the foundations of morality would allow some very disturbing behaviors to count as moral, and his approach to what morality says does not provide the action guidance we need from a moral theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotator cuff (RC) injuries represent a significant source of pain, functional impairment, and morbidity. The large disease burden of RC pathologies necessitates rapid development of research methodologies to treat these conditions. Given their ability to model anatomic, biomechanical, cellular, and molecular aspects of the human RC, animal models have played an indispensable role in reducing injury burden and advancing this field of research for many years. The development of animal models in the musculoskeletal (MSK) research arena is uniquely different from that in other fields in that the similarity of macrostructures and functions is as critical to replicate as cellular and molecular functions. Traditionally, larger animals have been used because of their anatomic similarity to humans and the ease of carrying out realistic surgical procedures. However, refinement of current molecular methods, introduction of novel research tools, and advancements in microsurgical techniques have increased the applicability of small animal models in MSK research. In this paper, we review RC animal models and emphasize a murine model that may serve as a valuable instrument for future RC tendon repair investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progranulin (PGRN) is a growth factor with a unique beads-on-a-string structure that is involved in multiple pathophysiological processes, including anti-inflammation, tissue repair, wound healing, neurodegenerative diseases, and tumorigenesis. This review presents up-to-date information concerning recent studies on the role of PGRN in inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis, with a special focus on the involvement of the interactions and interplay between PGRN and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family members in regulating such musculoskeletal diseases. In addition, this paper highlights the applications of atsttrin, an engineered protein comprising three TNFR-binding fragments of PGRN, as a promising intervention in treating arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion in the geographical distribution of vector-borne diseases is a much emphasized consequence of climate change, as are the consequences of urbanization for diseases that are already endemic, which may be even more important for public health. In this paper, we focus on dengue, the most widespread urban vector-borne disease. Largely urban with a tropical/subtropical distribution and vectored by a domesticated mosquito, Aedes aegypti, dengue poses a serious public health threat. Temperature plays a determinant role in dengue epidemic potential, affecting crucial parts of the mosquito and viral life cycles. The urban predilection of the mosquito species will further exacerbate the impact of global temperature change because of the urban heat island effect. Even within a city, temperatures can vary by 10 °C according to urban land use, and diurnal temperature range (DTR) can be even greater. DTR has been shown to contribute significantly to dengue epidemic potential. Unraveling the importance of within-city temperature is as important for dengue as for the negative health consequences of high temperatures that have thus far been emphasized, for example, pollution and heat stroke. Urban and landscape planning designed to mitigate the non-infectious negative effects of temperature should additionally focus on dengue, which is currently spreading worldwide with no signs of respite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Can environmental factors, such as air-transported preformed toxins, be of key relevance to the health outcomes of poorly understood human ailments (e.g., rheumatic diseases such as vasculitides, some inflammatory diseases, or even severe childhood acquired heart diseases)? Can the physical, chemical, or biological features of air masses be linked to the emergence of diseases such as Kawasaki disease (KD), Henoch-Schönlein purpura, Takayasu's aortitis, and ANCA-associated vasculitis? These diseases surprisingly share some common epidemiological features. For example, they tend to appear as clusters of cases grouped geographically and temporarily progress in nonrandom sequences that repeat every year in a similar way. They also show concurrent trend changes within regions in countries and among different world regions. In this paper, we revisit transdisciplinary research on the role of environmental and climate factors in the epidemiology of KD as a paradigmatic example of this group of diseases. Early-warning systems based on environmental alerts, if successful, could be implemented as a way to better inform patients who are predisposed to, or at risk for, developing KD. Further research on the etiology of KD could facilitate the development of vaccines and specific medical therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization and climate change are the two major environmental challenges of the 21st century. The dramatic expansion of cities around the world creates new conditions for the spread, surveillance, and control of infectious diseases. In particular, urban growth generates pronounced spatial heterogeneity within cities, which can modulate the effect of climate factors at local spatial scales in large urban environments. Importantly, the interaction between environmental forcing and socioeconomic heterogeneity at local scales remains an open area in infectious disease dynamics, especially for urban landscapes of the developing world. A quantitative and conceptual framework on urban health with a focus on infectious diseases would benefit from integrating aspects of climate forcing, population density, and level of wealth. In this paper, we review what is known about these drivers acting independently and jointly on urban infectious diseases; we then outline elements that are missing and would contribute to building such a framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme heat is a leading weather-related cause of morbidity and mortality, with heat exposure becoming more widespread, frequent, and intense as climates change. The use of heat early warning and response systems (HEWSs) that integrate weather forecasts with risk assessment, communication, and reduction activities is increasingly widespread. HEWSs are frequently touted as an adaptation to climate change, but little attention has been paid to the question of how best to ensure effectiveness of HEWSs as climates change further. In this paper, we discuss findings showing that HEWSs satisfy the tenets of an intervention that facilitates adaptation, but climate change poses challenges infrequently addressed in heat action plans, particularly changes in the onset, duration, and intensity of dangerously warm temperatures, and changes over time in the relationships between temperature and health outcomes. Iterative management should be central to a HEWS, and iteration cycles should be of 5 years or less. Climate change adaptation and implementation science research frameworks can be used to identify HEWS modifications to improve their effectiveness as temperature continues to rise, incorporating scientific insights and new understanding of effective interventions. We conclude that, at a minimum, iterative management activities should involve planned reassessment at least every 5 years of hazard distribution, population-level vulnerability, and HEWS effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide, and the incidence of esophageal carcinoma is rapidly increasing. With the advent of new staging and treatment techniques, esophageal cancer can now be managed through various strategies. A good understanding of the advances and limitations of new staging techniques and how these can guide in individualizing treatment is important to improve outcomes for esophageal cancer patients. This paper outlines the recent progress in staging and treatment of esophageal cancer, with particularly attention to endoscopic techniques for early-stage esophageal cancer, multimodality treatment for locally advanced esophageal cancer, assessment of response to neoadjuvant treatment, and the role of cervical lymph node dissection. Furthermore, advances in robot-assisted surgical techniques and postoperative recovery protocols that may further improve outcomes after esophagectomy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortification of staple foods with vitamins and minerals is an effective approach to increase micronutrient intake and improve nutritional status. The specific use of condiments and seasonings as vehicles in large-scale fortification programs is a relatively new public health strategy. This paper underscores equity considerations for the implementation of large-scale fortification of condiments and seasonings as a public health strategy by examining nonexhaustive examples of programmatic experiences and pilot projects in various settings. An overview of conceptual elements in implementation research and equity is presented, followed by an examination of equity considerations for five implementation strategies: (1) enhancing the capabilities of the public sector, (2) improving the performance of implementing agencies, (3) strengthening the capabilities and performance of frontline workers, (3) empowering communities and individuals, and (4) supporting multiple stakeholders engaged in improving health. Finally, specific considerations related to intersectoral action are considered. Large-scale fortification of condiments and seasonings cannot be a standalone strategy and needs to be implemented with concurrent and coordinated public health strategies, which should be informed by a health equity lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spices and condiments are an important part of human history and nutrition, and have played an important role in the development of most cultures around the world. According to the Codex Alimentarius, the category of salts, spices, soups, sauces, salads, and protein products includes substances added to foods to enhance aroma and taste. Spices have been reported to have health benefits as antioxidant, antibiotic, antiviral, anticoagulant, anticarcinogenic, and anti-inflammatory agents. Health claims about the benefits of condiments for disease prevention or health improvement need to be science based and extensively supported by evidence; data on their preventive or protective potential in humans are currently limited. The condiments market has been growing continuously over the last few years, with the quantity of products sold under the category of sauces, dressings, and condiments during the period 2008-2013 increasing from 31,749,000 to 35,795,000 metric tons. About 50 of the 86 spices produced in the world are grown in India. From 2008 to 2013, the United States was the largest importer of spices, followed by Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Russia. The main buyers of fish sauce are Vietnam and Thailand, with purchases of 333,000 and 284,000 metric tons in 2013, respectively. The sauces and condiments category is dynamic, with large differences in consumption in habits and practices among countries. This paper aims to establish definitions and discuss potential health benefits, consumption patterns, and global markets for sauces, spices, and condiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fortification of condiments or seasonings may be useful for delivering micronutrients if they are consumed consistently by most of the population, as occurs in many countries. The World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Micronutrient Initiative and the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science at the New York Academy of Sciences, convened a technical consultation on 'Fortification of Condiments and Seasonings with Vitamins and Minerals in Public Health: from Proof of Concept to Scaling Up' to review the role of condiments and seasonings in improving micronutrient status, as constituents of regular diets and patterns of production and consumption worldwide. The consultation covered aspects related to implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and legal frameworks of fortification programs, as well as food safety and policy coherence for condiment fortification in the context of other public health strategies. This paper introduces the background and rationale of the technical consultation, synopsizes the presentations, and provides a summary of the main considerations proposed by the working groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condiments and seasonings have been considered as potential vehicles for fortification in place of, or in addition to, fortifiable staple foods. Methodologies for establishing fortification programs focus primarily on use of staple foods, which are consumed in larger portions than condiments and seasonings. Some fortification models assume self-limiting consumption relative to the maximum energy consumed by target populations. However, this assumption may prove incorrect for estimating fortification concentrations of condiments and seasonings because they may only provide negligible energy. Although flavor or color may limit consumption, these limits would vary across each condiment or seasoning vehicle. In addition, the small volume of condiments and seasonings consumed relative to staple foods can lead to proportionally larger potential errors than with staple foods when measuring usual dietary intakes for establishing safe and effective fortification concentrations. This paper reviews available methods for setting fortification levels, whether or how available methods or conceptual frameworks could be adapted to condiments and seasonings, and gaps in knowledge for appropriately using condiments and seasonings as vehicles for fortification in public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many federal definitions and popular theories of giftedness specify creativity as a core component. Nevertheless, states rely primarily on measures of intelligence for giftedness identification. As minority and culturally diverse students continue to be underrepresented in gifted programs, it is reasonable to ask if increasing the prominence of creativity in gifted identification may help increase balance and equity. In this paper, we explore both layperson and psychometric conceptions of bias and suggest that adding creativity measures to the identification process alleviates both perceptions and the presence of bias. We recognize, however, the logistic and measurement-related challenges to including creativity assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and synthesizes functional imaging research that over the past decade has begun to offer new insights into the brain mechanisms underlying emotion regulation. Toward that end, the first section of the paper outlines a model of the processes and neural systems involved in emotion generation and regulation. The second section surveys recent research supporting and elaborating the model, focusing primarily on studies of the most commonly investigated strategy, which is known as reappraisal. At its core, the model specifies how prefrontal and cingulate control systems modulate activity in perceptual, semantic, and affect systems as a function of one's regulatory goals, tactics, and the nature of the stimuli and emotions being regulated. This section also shows how the model can be generalized to understand the brain mechanisms underlying other emotion regulation strategies as well as a range of other allied phenomena. The third and last section considers directions for future research, including how basic models of emotion regulation can be translated to understand changes in emotion across the life span and in clinical disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper was motivated by the 25th anniversary of the publication of Marc Reisner's book, Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water. Dams are ubiquitous on rivers in the United States, and large dams and storage reservoirs are the hallmark of western U.S. riverscapes. The effects of dams on downstream river ecosystems have attracted much attention and are encapsulated in the serial discontinuity concept (SDC). In the SDC, dams create abrupt shifts in continua of downstream changes in physical and biotic properties. In this paper, we develop a framework for understanding how channel geometry and network structure influence how the physical components of habitat and the biota rebound from discontinuities set up by large dams. We apply this framework to data describing the flow regime, temperature, sediment flux, and fish community composition below Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, and Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River. Sediment flux in dam tailwaters is under strong control by channel geometry. By contrast, dam-related changes in temperature and flow variation are not significantly modulated by channel geometry or tributary inputs if flow volumes are small (Missouri and Colorado River tributaries). Instead, small tributaries provide near-native conditions (flow and temperature variation) and, as such, provide key refuges for biota from novel habitats in mainstem rivers below large dams. Unregulated tributaries that are large relative to their respective mainstem (e.g., Yampa River) provide refuges as well as significant amelioration of flow and temperature effects from upstream dams. Finally, the proportion of native fish increases with distance from dam and exhibits sharp increases near tributary junctions. These results suggest that tributaries-even minor ones in terms of relative discharge-act as key refugia for native species in regulated river networks. Moreover, large, unregulated tributaries are key to restoring continuity in physical habitat and the biota in large regulated rivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of its generally low density of humans and few settlements, the circumpolar boreal forest is often viewed as an untouched wilderness. However, archeological evidence indicates that humans have inhabited the region since the continental glaciers disappeared 8,000-12,000 years ago. This paper discusses the ecological impacts that humans have had on the boreal forest ecosystem through their activities in prehistoric, historic, and recent times and argues that the boreal forest has always been a cultural landscape with a gradient of impacts both spatially and temporally. These activities include hunting, trapping, herding, agriculture, forestry, hydroelectric dam projects, oil and natural gas development, and mining. In prehistoric times, human impacts would generally have been more temporary and spatially localized. However, the megafaunal extinctions coincident with arrival of humans were very significant ecological impacts. In historic times, the spread of Europeans and their exploitation of the boreal's natural resources as well as agricultural expansion has altered the composition and continuity of the boreal forest ecosystem in North America, Fennoscandia, and Asia. Particularly over the last century, these impacts have increased significantly (e.g., some hydroelectric dams and tar sands developments that have altered and destroyed vast areas of the boreal forest). Although the atmospheric changes and resulting climatic changes due to human activities are causing the most significant changes to the high-latitude boreal forest ecosystem, any discussion of these impacts are beyond the limits of this paper and therefore are not included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although drug craving has received considerable research attention over the past several decades, to date there has been no systematic review of the general clinical significance of craving. This paper presents an overview of measurement issues of particular relevance to a consideration of use of craving in clinical settings. The paper then considers the relevance of craving across a broad array of clinical domains, including diagnosis, prognostic utility, craving as an outcome measure, and the potential value of craving as a direct target of intervention. The paper is both descriptive and prescriptive, informed by the current state of the science on craving with recommendations for the definition of craving, assessment practices, future research, and clinical applications. We conclude that craving has considerable utility for diagnosis and as a clinical outcome, and that findings from future research will likely expand the clinical potential of the craving construct in the domains of prognosis and craving as a treatment target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the early 21st century success of the agonist-antagonist buprenorphine and the combination drug buprenorphine with naloxone within the broader quest to develop addiction therapeutics that began in the 1920s as the search for a nonaddictive analgesic. Drawing on archival research, document analysis, and interviews with contemporary actors, this paper situates the social organization of laboratory-based and clinical research within the domestic and international confluence of several issues, including research ethics, drug regulation, public attitudes, tensions around definitions of drug addiction, and the evolving roles of the pharmaceutical industry. The fervor that drove the champions of buprenorphine must be understood in relation to (1) the material work of research and pharmaceutical manufacturing; (2) the symbolic role of buprenorphine as a solution to numerous problems with addiction treatment evident by the mid-1970s; the destigmatization and individualization of addicts as patients; and (3) the complex configurations of public and private partnerships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late 1970s, Wally Welker and his colleagues published a series of papers describing the first high-resolution physiological maps of tactile mossy fiber projections to the granule cell layer of the rat. Over the subsequent decade, his laboratory continued to explore the implications of these results for cerebellar connectivity and function while also extending the basic mapping results to a number of additional mammalian species. In each case, the maps revealed several surprising features, including a dominance of tactile (cutaneous inputs), robust short latency responses from the sensory periphery, and a fractured patchy somatotopic organization of receptive fields. This paper summarizes the major results of these micromapping experiments and reconsiders their implications for cerebellar function in light of more recent experimental data. The paper also explores the relationship between these fundamental discoveries and Wally Welker's theory-neutral approach to experimental science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the problem of achieving global cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Contributions to this problem are reviewed from noncooperative game theory, cooperative game theory, and implementation theory. We examine the solutions to games where players have a continuous choice about how much to pollute, as well as games where players make decisions about treaty participation. The implications of linking cooperation on climate change with cooperation on other issues, such as trade, are also examined. Cooperative and noncooperative approaches to coalition formation are investigated in order to examine the behavior of coalitions cooperating on climate change. One way to achieve cooperation is to design a game, known as a mechanism, whose equilibrium corresponds to an optimal outcome. This paper examines some mechanisms that are based on conditional commitments, and their policy implications. These mechanisms could make cooperation on climate change mitigation more likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rates of suicide among veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) rose significantly from 2005 to 2007, adding to existing concerns about veteran suicide risk by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This paper summarizes the available data about risk and rates of suicide in veterans, including the choice of appropriate comparison groups and the identification of risk factors. The data suggest that taking into account the selection bias of who enters the military (known as the healthy soldier effect), rates of suicide in veterans are higher than expected, especially among activity duty OEF/OIF veterans and even more so among those who experienced injuries and trauma. Thus, the experiences of war and the downstream sequelae, in particular the individuals' psychological reactions and societal responses, lead to suicide risk. This paper describes the VA's response to these data in developing and implementing suicide prevention interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of racial variations in health and shows that differences in socioeconomic status (SES) across racial groups are a major contributor to racial disparities in health. However, race reflects multiple dimensions of social inequality and individual and household indicators of SES capture relevant but limited aspects of this phenomenon. Research is needed that will comprehensively characterize the critical pathogenic features of social environments and identify how they combine with each other to affect health over the life course. Migration history and status are also important predictors of health and research is needed that will enhance understanding of the complex ways in which race, SES, and immigrant status combine to affect health. Fully capturing the role of race in health also requires rigorous examination of the conditions under which medical care and genetic factors can contribute to racial and SES differences in health. The paper identifies research priorities in all of these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determinants of individual behaviors that provide shared environmental benefits are a longstanding theme in social science research. Alternative behavioral models yield markedly different predictions and policy recommendations. This paper reviews and compares the literatures from two disciplines that appear to be moving toward a degree of convergence. In social psychology, moral theories of pro-environmental behavior have focused on the influence of personal moral norms while recognizing that external factors, such as costs and incentives, ultimately limit the strength of the norm-behavior relationship. Rational choice models, such as the theory of planned behavior in social psychology and the theories of voluntary provision of public goods in economics, have sought to incorporate the effects of personal norms and to measure their importance in explaining behaviors, such as recycling and the demand for green products. This paper explores the relationship between these approaches and their implications for the theory and practice of ecological economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boulding's 1966 paper on the economics of spaceship Earth established the framework for ecological economics and an understanding of economic growth. In ecological economics, economies are conceptualized as open subsystems of the closed biosphere and are subject to biophysical laws and constraints. Economic growth measured as an increase in real gross domestic product (GDP) has generally been associated with increases in the use of energy and materials and the generation of wastes. Scale, composition, and technology are the proximate determinants of environmental impacts. They are often reduced to two: scale (GDP) and intensity (impact per unit GDP). New work described in this paper defines “green” growth as intensity that declines faster than scale increases. Similarly, “brown” growth occurs when intensity declines more slowly than increases in scale, and “black” growth happens when both scale and intensity increase. These concepts are then related to the environmental Kuznets curve, which can be understood as a transition from brown to green growth. Ecological economics provides a macroperspective on economic growth. It offers broad policy principles, and it challenges the primacy of economic growth as a policy objective, but many important questions remain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate scientists point to a number of unsustainable trends concerning the environment and natural resources. There is also ongoing concern about poverty reduction, labor rights, and other social aspects of sustainable development. Growing numbers argue that change is required, but still at issue is the extent of change and how to facilitate it. In this paper, the focus is on the dominant interpretive schema of influential actors with respect to ideas about science in society, paradigms in economics, and ideological orientations. The authors argue that the monopolistic position of neoclassical economics at university departments of economics in different parts of the world, and the spread of its associated technocratic logic within broader policy arenas, should be abandoned in favor of a more ideologically open attitude that facilitates discussion and debate within academia, public policy, and in civil society more generally. In a sense, economics requires “democratization” with implications for approaches to sustainability monitoring, accounting, and the assessment of projects and policies. The paper provides suggestions for developing sustainability assessment technologies and practices that take pluralism seriously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been five foremost empirical efforts regarding energy return on investment (EROI) analysis over the past few years, including the topics of: (1) whether corn ethanol is a net energy yielder; (2) a summary of the state of EROI for most major fuel types; (3) alternative applications of EROI, such as energy return on water invested (EROWI); (4) the relation between EROI and the economy; and (5) an attempt to calculate the minimum EROI for a sustainable society. This paper offers a review of these five main areas of interest and provides a history of the development of EROI as well as a review of some of the various definitions of EROI and how they apply to EROI analyses. The paper concludes by listing numerous areas of improvement that are needed within EROI research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews current behavioral health interventions and introduces a self-healing program based on the Indo-Tibetan tradition. While most work on behavior change emphasizes cognition and motivation, this review highlights stress-reactivity as a rate-limiting resistance to learning. Surveying cognitive-behavioral theories, it finds these limited in modeling stress-reactivity. Reviewing current interventions that address stress by integrating relaxation, mindfulness, imagery, or movement with cognitive-behavioral education, it attributes their limited effectiveness to the limits of their model of stress and their strategy of eclectically mixing techniques. Next, the article explores the Indic model of stress-cessation and self-healing assumed by mindfulness practice, concluding that it more fully reflects current findings on stress and learning. It reviews the theory and practice of mindfulness and of two less known contemplative “vehicles” preserved in Tibet, using more advanced techniques and insights better suited to lay lifestyles and secular cultures. It suggests that the Tibetan tradition of integrating all three vehicles of contemplative insight and skill in one self-healing practice should maximize coherence and effectiveness while minimizing confounding variables caused by eclecticism. Finally, the paper introduces an intervention that integrates mindfulness with techniques of cognitive analysis, affect modulation, motivational imagery, and reinforcing breathing, tailored over centuries into a complete, threefold path of self-healing. A pilot study of this intervention in women treated for breast and other gynecologic cancers suggests that the whole spectrum of Indo-Tibetan mind/body practices can be readily mastered and effectively used by Westerners to reduce stress and enhance learning and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is intended to serve as a traditional Tibetan medical response to advancements in basic longevity research, with particular attention to current models of caloric restriction. This is a complicated task, as Tibetan medicine traditionally approaches dietary modification from a radically different perspective, and relies upon a complex model of health and balance in the treatment and prevention of disease. This paper offers a brief overview of the traditional Tibetan medicine (TTM) model and suggests potential areas for collaborative research on dietary modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Writing 50 years after the publication of C. P. Snow's Two Cultures and The Scientific Revolution, this paper considers the many cultures that have to intersect to sustain and deepen the advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with disorders of consciousness. To bridge this “two-culture divide,” the paper contextualizes scientific developments in this field within work in medical ethics and the humanities. The author asserts that this line of inquiry cannot go forward responsibly absent input from the humanities and an appreciation of the lived experiences of patients and families who confront the quotidian and existential challenges of severe brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites key findings from various research papers presented during the international "Mechanisms of Exocytosis 2008" meeting at the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Ljubljana, Slovenia from May 22 to 25, 2008. It includes an in-depth analysis of various issues relevant to the physiological process of exocytosis that are discussed by the research papers including intracellular messengers and exocytosis, molecular mechanisms of exocytosis and vesicle dynamics and cell types. Also cited are various leading scientists in the field who presented their research studies during the event.

Risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) formerly known as Risk Minimization Action Plans (RiskMAPs) are a regulatory technique for dealing with anticipated risks of new medications and are especially important for new drugs with abuse potential. This paper describes the origin and history of risk-management plans for drugs that might be abused, the proper use of these plans in minimizing the risk to the public, and the special difficulties inherent in managing risks for drugs with abuse potential. Drugs with abuse liability are distinctive since the risks inherent in manufacture and distribution include not only risks to patients prescribed the medications, but also risks to the general public including subgroups in the population not intended to get the drug and who receive no medical benefit from the medication. The crafting of risk-management plans intended to protect nonpatient populations is unique for these products. The content, extent, and level of intensity of these plans affect areas of medical ethics, civil liability, and criminal prosecution. The need for risk-management plans for drugs with abuse liability can potentially act as a deterrent to investment and is a factor in decisions concerning the development of new medications for the treatments of pain, ADHD, anxiety disorders, and addictions. This paper provides a framework for moving the process of REMS development forward and criteria for evaluating the probity and adequacy of such programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines apparent tensions between “science-based,”“precautionary,” and “participatory” approaches to decision making on risk. Partly by reference to insights currently emerging in evolutionary studies, the present paper looks for ways to reconcile some of the contradictions. First, I argue that technological evolution is a much more plural and open-ended process than is conventionally supposed. Risk politics is thus implicitly as much about social choice of technological pathways as narrow issues of safety. Second, it is shown how conventional “science-based” risk assessment techniques address only limited aspects of incomplete knowledge in complex, dynamic, evolutionary processes. Together, these understandings open the door to more sophisticated, comprehensive, rational, and robust decision-making processes. Despite their own limitations, it is found that precautionary and participatory approaches help to address these needs. A concrete framework is outlined through which the synergies can be more effectively harnessed. By this means, we can hope simultaneously to improve scientific rigor and democratic legitimacy in risk governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we identify research possibilities for organizational cognitive neuroscience that emerge from the papers in this special issue. We emphasize the intriguing finding that the papers share a common theme—the use of cognitive neuroscience to investigate the role of emotions in organizational behavior; this suggests a research agenda in its own right. We conclude the article by stressing that there is much yet to discover about how the mind works, especially in organizational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]