Towards Privacy-Aware Research and Development in Wearable Health

Wearable sensor technology has the potential to transform healthcare. The investigation and testing of sensors in the commercial sector offer insight into ways to leverage biometric data, to improve individual health through the better products and to advance the public good through research. \ \ However, research with wearable sensor data must be done in a manner that is respectful of ethical considerations and privacy. Not only will the processes that govern this research define the potential public good derived from wearables, they will encourage user trust in wearables and promote participation. The research and development (R&D) teams at companies are not just engines of innovation but also have the potential to be an important part of our social infrastructure. The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT) embarked on a yearlong partnership with Fitbit. CDT gained rare access to the company’s data policies and practices to build recommendations on privacy and ethics.

Sustainability and historic preservation : how federal policies and green marketing conspire to sell window replacement and what can be done about it

Masters final project submitted to the Faculty of the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Historic Preservation. "HISP 700 final project Fall 2010."Owners of historic houses who want to improve their home‟s energy efficiency face conflicting information regarding the best practices for single-pane windows. Federal agencies and window replacement manufacturers encourage window replacement, while preservationists favor repairing old windows and adding storm units. Despite federal policies that encourage sustainable practices, publications by agencies such as the Department of Energy favor window replacement over other, more sustainable, retrofits. Window manufacturers use this opportunity to their full advantage in their own sustainable marketing strategies. In order to counter the negative effects of federal agencies and window manufacturers on old windows, historic preservationists must analyze the problem and, using this research, develop a comprehensive marketing plan that identifies sustainable solutions that save money, energy and the environment. This project is a first step in that direction

Alanine aminotransferase and the 6-year risk of the metabolic syndrome in Caucasian men and women: the Hoorn Study

Aims: To study the association between alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and the 6-year risk of the metabolic syndrome in a population-based study in Caucasian men and women. Methods: The association of ALT with the 6-year risk of the metabolic syndrome in 1097 subjects, aged 50-75 years, was assessed in the Hoorn Study with logistic regression analysis. Subjects with the metabolic syndrome at baseline, defined according to the Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program, were excluded. Results: After 6.4 (range 4.4-8.1) years follow-up, 226 subjects (20.6%) had developed the metabolic syndrome. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for developing the metabolic syndrome, adjusted for age, sex, alcohol intake and follow-up duration was 2.25 (1.50-3.37) for subjects in the upper tertile compared with those in the lower tertile of ALT. This association persisted after additional adjustment for all the baseline metabolic syndrome features [1.62 (1.02-2.58)]. Among the individual components of the metabolic syndrome, ALT was significantly associated only with fasting plasma glucose at follow-up. Conclusions: These data suggest that ALT is associated with risk of the metabolic syndrome in a general population of middle-aged Caucasian men and women, further strengthening the role of ALT as an indicator for future metabolic derangement. These findings warrant further studies to elucidate the role of non-adipose tissue fat accumulation in the pathogenesis of complications related to the metabolic syndrome

Detection of genetic prognostic markers in uveal melanoma biopsies using fluorescence in situ hybridization

PURPOSE: In uveal melanoma, specific chromosomal abnormalities are known to correlate with the risk of metastases; changes in chromosomes 3 and 8q correlate strongly with a decreased survival of the patient, whereas chromosome 6 abnormalities are associated with a better prognosis. Usual