A Patient-Specific in silico Model of Inflammation and Healing Tested in Acute Vocal Fold Injury

The development of personalized medicine is a primary objective of the medical community and increasingly also of funding and registration agencies. Modeling is generally perceived as a key enabling tool to target this goal. Agent-Based Models (ABMs) have previously been used to simulate inflammation at various scales up to the whole-organism level. We extended this approach to the case of a novel, patient-specific ABM that we generated for vocal fold inflammation, with the ultimate goal of identifying individually optimized treatments. ABM simulations reproduced trajectories of inflammatory mediators in laryngeal secretions of individuals subjected to experimental phonotrauma up to 4 hrs post-injury, and predicted the levels of inflammatory mediators 24 hrs post-injury. Subject-specific simulations also predicted different outcomes from behavioral treatment regimens to which subjects had not been exposed. We propose that this translational application of computational modeling could be used to design patient-specific therapies for the larynx, and will serve as a paradigm for future extension to other clinical domains

Monitoring renal hemodynamics and oxygenation by invasive probes: experimental protocol

Renal tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia are early key elements in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury of various origins, and may also promote progression from acute injury to chronic kidney disease. Here we describe methods to study control of renal hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation by means of invasive probes in anesthetized rats. Step-by-step protocols are provided for two setups, one for experiments in laboratories for integrative physiology and the other for experiments within small-animal magnetic resonance scanners.This publication is based upon work from the COST Action PARENCHIMA, a community-driven network funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program of the European Union, which aims to improve the reproducibility and standardization of renal MRI biomarkers. This experimental protocol chapter is complemented by a separate chapter describing the basic concepts of quantitatively assessing renal perfusion and oxygenation with invasive probes

Quantitative assessment of renal perfusion and oxygenation by invasive probes: basic concepts

Renal tissue hypoperfusion and hypoxia are early key elements in the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury of various origins, and may also promote progression from acute injury to chronic kidney disease. Here we describe basic principles of methodology to quantify renal hemodynamics and tissue oxygenation by means of invasive probes in experimental animals. Advantages and disadvantages of the various methods are discussed in the context of the heterogeneity of renal tissue perfusion and oxygenation.This chapter is based upon work from the COST Action PARENCHIMA, a community-driven network funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) program of the European Union, which aims to improve the reproducibility and standardization of renal MRI biomarkers. This introduction chapter is complemented by a separate chapter describing the experimental procedure and data analysis

Transforming Collaborative Governing Bodies for Immigrants’ Authentic Engagement

In the Pacific Northwest, immigration has brought about unprecedented demographic changes. In this study we investigated the urban governance practice of including members of the public on collaborative governing bodies (e.g., committees, boards, planning commissions) among first- and second-generation immigrants in Oregon. We conducted 46 semistructured interviews with immigrant members of collaborative governing bodies throughout Oregon and found that the culture of a body has multiple impacts on a participant’s satisfaction and productivity. Evidence of the mitigating role culture plays (related to an individual’s sense of accomplishment and positive association) centered on participants’ reported influence on the body itself and on the practices and policies of the community at large during their service. The findings also suggest that informal activities before, in between, or after official business were equally as important to building a culture of productivity as any formal training that members received. Planners must encourage body members and others in leadership roles to develop a core belief that nurturing the culture of the body is key to enhancing members’ feelings of influence. This approach should include an investment of resources in hosting extensive orientations that acquaint new members with the technical components of the work and with meeting procedures, and existing members with the value of storytelling during deliberation. The results of this study can inform future planners about the intricate qualities that make or break the culture of a governing body, including its members and staff.</p

“A State of Immigrants”: A New Look at the Immigrant Experience in Oregon

136 pagesThis work was funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

“A State of Immigrants”: A New Look at the Immigrant Experience in Oregon

155 pagesEn 2008, docentes de la Universidad de Oregón publicaron un reporte titulado “La experiencia de los inmigrantes en Oregón.” Ya que la población inmigrante y refugiada en Oregón ha presentado un mayor aumento desde la década del 1990, les autores buscaban ampliar el conocimiento público sobre la experiencia de les inmigrantes en Oregón, documentar las contribuciones de les inmigrantes tanto en la comunidad como en los espacios de trabajo, y ofrecer recomendaciones que ayudarían a un exitoso proceso de integración de les inmigrantes a la vida social, económica y cívica del estado. El informe se difundió ampliamente y generó un debate reflexivo sobre el papel vital de las inmigrantes en el estado y la necesidad de generar acciones y políticas que aborden sus necesidades e intereses