In Vivo 3D Analysis of Thoracic Kinematics : Changes in Size and Shape During Breathing and Their Implications for Respiratory Function in Recent Humans and Fossil Hominins

The human ribcage expands and contracts during respiration as a result of the interaction between the morphology of the ribs, the costo-vertebral articulations and respiratory muscles. Variations in these factors are said to produce differences in the kinematics of the upper thorax and the lower thorax, but the extent and nature of any such differences and their functional implications have not yet been quantified. Applying geometric morphometrics we measured 402 three-dimensional (3D) landmarks and semilandmarks of 3D models built from computed tomographic scans of thoraces of 20 healthy adult subjects in maximal forced inspiration (FI) and expiration (FE). We addressed the hypothesis that upper and lower parts of the ribcage differ in kinematics and compared different models of functional compartmentalization. During inspiration the thorax superior to the level of the sixth ribs undergoes antero-posterior expansion that differs significantly from the medio-lateral expansion characteristic of the thorax below this level. This supports previous suggestions for dividing the thorax into a pulmonary and diaphragmatic part. While both compartments differed significantly in mean size and shape during FE and FI the size changes in the lower compartment were significantly larger. Additionally, for the same degree of kinematic shape change, the pulmonary thorax changes less in size than the diaphragmatic thorax. Therefore, variations in the form and function of the diaphragmatic thorax will have a strong impact on respiratory function. This has important implications for interpreting differences in thorax shape in terms of respiratory functional differences within and among recent humans and fossil hominins. Anat Rec, 300:255–264, 2017

The Gulf Research Program’s Initiative on Safer Offshore Energy Systems

PresentationThe Gulf Research Program (GRP) is a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine established in 2013 as part of settlements in the criminal cases with the companies involved in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster. Settlement funds totaling $500 million were designated toward a 30-year endowment to support grants, fellowships and other activities in three areas of responsibility: oil system safety, human health & well-being, and environmental resources. In the initial years of the program, several initiatives were developed to focus the GRP’s work and resources, one of which is the Safer Offshore Energy Systems Initiative. This initiative aims to foster minimization and management of risk to make offshore operations safer for both people and the environment in order to prevent oil spills, loss of life, and harmful exposures related to offshore operations. Comprehensive risk awareness can help both industry and regulators to better anticipate, reduce, and avoid risks in the offshore energy environment. Through grants, workshops, studies, and other activities, the GRP aims to advance this understanding by supporting the following: Fundamental research needs in earth science, engineering and technology, and human and behavioral science that could promote safer offshore operations. Educational or training programs designed to promote a skilled and safety-oriented workforce, and Collaboration among researchers, industry, and regulatory agencies to advance understanding and communication about systemic risk in the offshore environmen

Corporate Governance Comparison and Analysis: Brazil

Executive Summary First, we will compare the executive compensation practices in Brazil compared with the United States. We will present the problem of a shortage of executive talent within Brazilian organizations and analyze how it affects the compensation packages of their executives. Also discussed will be the relative low disclosure requirements of executive compensation components such as stock options. Recent scholarly findings will be presented which focus on topics such as short-term and long-term incentive plans, ownership concentration, disclosure requirements and social security taxation implications. Next, we will analyze the size of the board of directors, the low levels of board independence, gender diversity, and other characteristics of Brazilian boards of directors. A comparison will again be made with boards within the Unites States. Throughout this section we will discuss the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange and its four levels of registration. Also discussed will be Brazil's non-profit organizations, as well as the Instituto Brasileiro de Governanca Corporativa, which publishes a Code of Best Practices of Corporate Governance. Finally, we will discuss sustainability in Brazilian organizations. We will specifically focus on three key areas of sustainable development: social development, environmental development, and economic development. We will establish a connection between ethical issues and corporate social responsibility strategies across cultures. We will demonstrate the importance of preserving natural resources and using green sources. Additionally, we will establish a link between better performance, lower risks, and higher value. The evidence will show there is a strong relationship between best practices in sustainability and successful business management