Search results for "perspective"

Extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms of axon regeneration: the need for spinal cord injury treatment strategies to address both

2016

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes disturbances in motor and sensory functions leading to paralysis, the severity of which depends on the spinal level of the injury. Traumatic lesions of spinal cord axon projection tracts are untreatable in human patients, although numerous research groups worldwide are studying putative treatment strategies. Both extrinsic factors in the environment of the axons as well as intrinsic factors in the neurons themselves play important roles in the regeneration process (Chew et al., 2012). The peripheral nervous system (PNS) provides a good example where the extrinsic and intrinsic factors play optimally together to allow regeneration. Schwann cells dedifferentiat…

Bordeaux 2018: Wine, Cheese, and γδ T Cells

2019

The first ‘International γδ T cell conference’ took place in Denver, CO (USA) in 2004. Since then, a new meeting is held every two years. During each conference, all participants voted to choose between candidate bids for where to hold the next conference. At the conference held in London in 2016, a majority opted for the bid from a team proposing the 2018 event be held in Bordeaux, France – which is where we therefore gathered on 7-10th of June 2018. The meeting was an undisputed success and it gave us the opportunity to take stock of the increasing basic knowledge about γδ T cells as well as the rapidly expanding interest and activities developing using γδ T cells towards clinical applica…

Can new immunoassay techniques improve bladder cancer diagnostics With protein biomarkers?

2021

The search for new diagnostic tests for cancer or ways to improve existing tests is primarily driven by the desire to identify the disease as early as possible. In this report, we summarize the current knowledge of the most promising diagnostic protein bladder cancer (BC) markers reported over the last decade. Unfortunately, analysis of published data suggests that a reliable, highly sensitive biomarker test-system based on ELISA for detecting BC has not yet been developed. The use of more sensitive assays to detect ultra-low concentrations of biomarkers not available for ELISA, could be very beneficial. Based on the literature and pilot experimental data, we conclude that a highly sensitiv…

Raman spectroscopy as a tool for ecology and evolution.

2017

7 pages; International audience; Scientists are always on the lookout for new modalities of information which could reveal new biological features that are useful for deciphering the complexity of biological systems. Here, we introduce Raman spectroscopy as a prime candidate for ecology and evolution. To encourage the integration of this microscopy technique in the field of ecology and evolution, it is crucial to discuss first how Raman spectroscopy fits within the conceptual, technical and pragmatic considerations of ecology and evolution. In this paper, we show that the spectral information holds reliable indicators of intra- and interspecies variations, which can be related to the enviro…

Improving the Translational Medicine Process: Moving Patients From "End-Users" to "Engaged Collaborators".

2019

Translational medicine works through the definition of unmet medical needs, their understanding and final resolution. In this complex and multi-disciplinary process patients have always been regarded as "end-users" or no more than "data provider." Considering that the translational practice is nowadays highly inefficient (i.e., large intellectual and economical resources are wasted with limited impact on people health) here we propose to reverse the process: start from patients, engage them, and keep them at the center. A new partnership needs to be formed between the patients and the health care professionals, as well as the treating physicians, to make the most out of the current "health …

Understanding the placebo effect from an evolutionary perspective

2013

Abstract A placebo is a treatment which is not effective through its direct action on the body, but works because of its effect on the patient's beliefs. From an evolutionary perspective, it is initially puzzling why, if people are capable of recovering, they need a placebo to do so. Based on an argument put forward by Humphrey [Great expectations: the evolutionary psychology of faith-healing and the placebo effect. In: Humphrey, N (2002). The mind made flesh. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 255–285], we present simple mathematical models of the placebo effect that involve a trade-off between the costs and benefits of allocating resources to a current problem. These models show why the eff…

2021

AbstractAs the global health crisis unfolded, many academic conferences moved online in 2020. This move has been hailed as a positive step towards inclusivity in its attenuation of economic, physical, and legal barriers and effectively enabled many individuals from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented to join and participate. A number of studies have outlined how moving online made it possible to gather a more global community and has increased opportunities for individuals with various constraints, e.g., caregiving responsibilities.Yet, the mere existence of online conferences is no guarantee that everyone can attend and participate meaningfully. In fact, many elements of a…

Effects of Food Label Health and Nutrition Claims on Consumer Perceptions

2009

Two experiments are reported that examined consumers' perceptions of food package labels where health and nutrition claims were present and where they had been removed. Unlike previous studies examining the influence of information on perception, realistic materials were used. This was accomplished by presenting information on a computer as photo-realistic images of packages where claims had been removed by editing to give a without-claims condition. Automatic presentation of materials and data collection meant participants proceeded through the computer questionnaire without the presence of an experimenter. The experiment was conducted with both British and French consumers. No significant…

A Review of the State-of-the-Art of Assistive Technology for People with ASD in the Workplace and in Everyday Life

2019

Part 8: Digital Divide and Social Inclusion; International audience; Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is an incurable brain-based disorder that refers to a wide range of complex neurodevelopment disorders characterised by marked difficulties in communication and social skills, repetitive behaviour, highly focused interests and sensory sensitivity. Autism can present challenges for affected people at the work environment and in everyday life. The barrier for individuals with ASD increases further with changing environmental situations. Individuals with ASD have limited abilities to isolate their Five senses and often experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch…

Simplification Of Painting Images For Tactile Perception By Visually Impaired Persons

2018

The access to artworks by visually impaired people requires a simplified tactile representation of paintings. This paper presents the difficulties of direct transcription of artworks and the test results of simplification of the paintings done by Australian Aborigines which don't have purely visual elements such as shadows or perspective. The implemented methodology is bottom-up: it starts with tactile representation of basic elements relevant to the understanding of the whole painting, then their association into more complex concepts. The context of associations is explained through audio-description. The results of the tests with visually impaired persons are analyzed and explained.