Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis Meeting Report Assessing Human Germ-Cell Mutagenesis in the Post-Genome Era: A Celebration of the Legacy of William Lawson (Bill) Russell

ABSTRACT Although numerous germ-cell mutagens have been identified in animal model systems, to date, no human germ-cell mutagens have been confirmed. Because the genomic integrity of our germ cells is essential for the continuation of the human species, a resolution of this enduring conundrum is needed. To facilitate such a resolution, we organized a workshop at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine on September [28][29][30] 2004. This interactive workshop brought together scientists from a wide range of disciplines to assess the applicability of emerging molecular methods for genomic analysis to the field of human germ-cell mutagenesis. Participants recommended that focused, coordinated human germ-cell mutation studies be conducted in relation to important societal exposures. Because cancer survivors represent a unique cohort with well-defined exposures, there was a consensus that studies should be designed to assess the mutational impact on children born to parents who had received certain types of mutagenic cancer chemotherapy prior to conceiving their children. Within this high-risk cohort, parents and children could be evaluated for inherited changes in (a) gene sequences and chromosomal structure, (b) repeat sequences and minisatellite regions, and (c) global gene expression and chromatin. Participants also recommended studies to examine trans-generational effects in humans involving mechanisms such as changes in imprinting and methylation patterns, expansion of nucleotide repeats, or induction of mitochondrial DNA mutations. Workshop participants advocated establishment of a bio-bank of human tissue samples that could be used to conduct a multiple-endpoint, comprehensive, and collaborative effort to detect exposure-induced heritable alterations in the human genome. Appropriate animal models of human germ-cell mutagenesis should be used in parallel with human studies to provide insights into the mechanisms of mammalian germ-cell mutagenesis. Finally, participants recommended that 4 scientific specialty groups be convened to address specific questions regarding the potential germ-cell mutagenicity of environmental, occupational, and lifestyle exposures. Strong support from relevant funding agencies and engagement of scientists outside the fields of genomics and germ-cell mutagenesis will be required to launch a full-scale assault on some of the most pressing and enduring questions in environmental mutagenesis: Do human germ-cell mutagens exist, what risk do they pose to future generations, and are some parents at higher risk than others for acquiring and transmitting germ-cell mutations?

Workshops

These workshops will deal with the psychological concerns of professional women. In addition to Whitney Gordon, A Talk With... and Drs. Standley and Soule, Men and Women Professionals, A Dialogue, the following workshops will be held: Conflicts for Women Leaving Their Traditional RolesLed by Joan Pearlman, counselor for women at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and Instructor at Washington University. Her workshop will include a vignette from a film on assertive training. Ms. Pearlman received her M.A. from Washington University. Assertive Behavior in WomenLed by Patricia Jakubowski Spector, Associate Professor of Education, Department of Behavioral Studies and Resources, University of Missouri, St. Louis. In Fiction ArchitectureWhich is also the title of a novel currently being written by F. Corrine Kutsenkow, an architect from San Francisco, California. Ms. Kutsenknow is a graduate of Carnegie Tech (B.Arch 1949) and The University of California at Berkeley (M. Arch, 1968). She has been involved in the theater and has held numerous teaching and professional positions. Role Conflicts: Professional, Mother and WifeConducted by five women who have experienced all these roles. Along with Gertrude Kerbis, Lois Langhorst, and Natalie DeBlois, there will be: Mary Jane Fournier, a registered architect married to an architect and the mother of four children. Ms. Fournier and her husband are principals in the firm, Fournier Inc. She is also presently head of Architectural Interiors, a subsidiary of Fournier Inc. Ms. Fournier attended Washington University and obtained her B. Arch in 1948. Ida Scott is an architect, wife and mother of two sons. She is presently working in St. Louis for Erwin Carl Schmidt. Ms. Scott attended the University of Texas for 3.5 years and has previously worked for architectural firms in Austin, Texas, Ft. Worth, Texas, Tarrytown, N.Y., and Hingham, Mass

Workshops

These workshops deal with the professional concerns of women architects. Archives of Women\u27s Work and History of the Alliance of Women ArchitectsWorkshops will be led by Phyllis Birkby, Marjorie Hoog, Regi Goldberg, and Sue Whilley. Design and EnvironmentLed by Phyllis Birkby, a New York City Architect and instructor at the City College of New York. Ms. Birkby did her undergraduate work at Cooper Union and received her M.Arch. at Yale Universeity. Her workshop will include a videotape which describes how the environment is disabling for a woman in N.Y.C. with three small children. Trends in Architectural Education, Trends in the Architectural Profession, Architecture as a Non-ProfessionLed by Marjorie Hoog, an architect active in the Alliance of Women Architects. Ms. Hoog was also a participant at the Conference of Women Architects in Rumania. Ms. Hoog did her undergraduate work at Cooper Union and received her M.Arch. at Harvard. Discrimination in Education and the Profession and Environments for Women ArchitectsThese two workshops will be led by Regi Goldberg. A Woman as an Architect and ContractorLed by Sue Whilley, a New Haven architect and contractor. Ms. Whilley\u27s work is in urban areas. She received her M.Arch. at Yale University. Architectural Practice or The Rewards of Building BuildingsLed by Natalie DeBlois, Associate Partner, Skidmore Owings and Merrill, Chicago, where she has worked for 30 years as a project designer

How Will the Future of Work Shape the OSH Professional of the Future? A Workshop Summary

Rapid and profound changes anticipated in the future of work will have significant implications for the education and training of occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals and the workforce. As the nature of the workplace, work, and the workforce change, the OSH field must expand its focus to include existing and new hazards (some yet unknown), consider how to protect the health and well-being of a diverse workforce, and understand and mitigate the safety implications of new work arrangements. Preparing for these changes is critical to developing proactive systems that can protect workers, prevent injury and illness, and promote worker well-being. An in-person workshop held on February 3–4, 2020 at The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHealth) School of Public Health in Houston, Texas, USA, examined some of the challenges and opportunities OSH education will face in both academic and industry settings. The onslaught of the COVID-19 global pandemic reached the United States one month after this workshop and greatly accelerated the pace of change. This article summarizes presentations from national experts and thought leaders across the spectrum of OSH and professionals in the fields of strategic foresight, systems thinking, and industry, and provides recommendations for the field

How Will the Future of Work Shape OSH Research and Practice? A Workshop Summary

Growth of the information economy and globalization of labor markets will be marked by exponential growth in emerging technologies that will cause considerable disruption of the social and economic sectors that drive the global job market. These disruptions will alter the way we work, where we work, and will be further affected by the changing demographic characteristics and level of training of the available workforce. These changes will likely result in scenarios where existing workplace hazards are exacerbated and new hazards with unknown health effects are created. The pace of these changes heralds an urgent need for a proactive approach to understand the potential effects new and emerging workplace hazards will have on worker health, safety, and well-being. As employers increasingly rely on non-standard work arrangements, research is needed to better understand the work organization and employment models that best support decent work and improved worker health, safety, and well-being. This need has been made more acute by the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic that has resulted in dramatic changes in employment patterns, millions of lost jobs, an erosion of many economic sectors, and widespread disparities which further challenge occupational safety and health (OSH) systems to ensure a healthy and productive workplace. To help identify new research approaches to address OSH challenges in the future, a virtual workshop was organized in June 2020 with leading experts in the fields of OSH, well-being, research methods, mental health, economics, and life-course analysis. A paradigm shift will be needed for OSH research in the future of work that embraces key stakeholders and thinks differently about research that will improve lives of workers and enhance enterprise success. A more transdisciplinary approach to research will be needed that integrates the skills of traditional and non-traditional OSH research disciplines, as well as broader research methods that support the transdisciplinary character of an expanded OSH paradigm. This article provides a summary of the presentations, discussion, and recommendations that will inform the agenda of the Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health (Ex4OSH) International Conference, planned for December 2021

Meeting Report. Assessing Human Germ-Cell Mutagenesis in the Post-Genome Era: A Celebration of the Legacy of William Lawson (Bill) Russell

Although numerous germ-cell mutagens have been identified in animal model systems, to date, no human germ-cell mutagens have been confirmed. Because the genomic integrity of our germ cells is essential for the continuation of the human species, a resolution of this enduring conundrum is needed. To facilitate such a resolution, we organized a workshop at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine on September 28-30, 2004. This interactive workshop brought together scientists from a wide range of disciplines to assess the applicability of emerging molecular methods for genomic analysis to the field of human germ-cell mutagenesis. Participants recommended that focused, coordinated human germ-cell mutation studies be conducted in relation to important societal exposures. Because cancer survivors represent a unique cohort with well-defined exposures, there was a consensus that studies should be designed to assess the mutational impact on children born to parents who had received certain types of mutagenic cancer chemotherapy prior to conceiving their children. Within this high-risk cohort, parents and children could be evaluated for inherited changes in (a) gene sequences and chromosomal structure, (b) repeat sequences and minisatellite regions, and (c) global gene expression and chromatin. Participants also recommended studies to examine trans-generational effects in humans involving mechanisms such as changes in imprinting and methylation patterns, expansion of nucleotide repeats, or induction of mitochondrial DNA mutations. Workshop participants advocated establishment of a bio-bank of human tissue samples that could be used to conduct a multiple-endpoint, comprehensive, and collaborative effort to detect exposure-induced heritable alterations in the human genome. Appropriate animal models of human germ-cell mutagenes is should be used in parallel with human studies to provide insights into the mechanisms of mammalian germ-cell mutagenesis. Finally, participants recommended that scientific specialty groups be convened to address specific questions regarding the potential germ-cell mutagenicity of environmental, occupational, and lifestyle exposures. Strong support from relevant funding agencies and engagement of scientists outside the fields of genomics and germ-cell mutagenesis will be required to launch a full-scale assault on some of the most pressing and enduring questions in environmental mutagenesis: Do human germ-cell mutagens exist, what risk do they pose to future generations, and are some parents at higher risk than others for acquiring and transmitting germ-cell mutations

Fourth European stroke science workshop

Lake Eibsee, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 16 to 18 November, 2017: The European Stroke Organisation convened >120 stroke experts from 21 countries to discuss latest results and hot topics in clinical, translational and basic stroke research. Since its inception in 2011, the European Stroke Science Workshop has become a cornerstone of European Stroke Organisation’s academic activities and a major highlight for researchers in the field. Participants include stroke researchers at all career stages and with different backgrounds, who convene for plenary lectures and discussions. The workshop was organised in seven scientific sessions focusing on the following topics: (1) acute stroke treatment and endovascular therapy; (2) small vessel disease; (3) opportunities for stroke research in the omics era; (4) vascular cognitive impairment; (5) intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage; (6) alternative treatment concepts and (7) neural circuits, recovery and rehabilitation. All sessions started with a keynote lecture providing an overview on current developments, followed by focused talks on a timely topic with the most recent findings, including unpublished data. In the following, we summarise the key contents of the meeting. The program is provided in the online only Data Supplement. The workshop started with a key note lecture on how to improve the efficiency of clinical trial endpoints in stroke, which was delivered by Craig Anderson (Sydney, Australia) and set the scene for the following discussions