The Eternal Waters

This creative thesis is from the first book of a planned trilogy. It is the beginning third of a young adult, dark fantasy novel about a secondary, drowning world. Merfolk and humans have been at conflict for centuries over territory and resources. When an angry ocean goddess wakes after a thousand years of slumber, both societies are threatened. The races are forced to work together to solve their environmental and fantastical perils. We see the island and water worlds though an alternating point of view. The two male point of view characters, one human and the other merfolk, become attracted to each other as they try to find and build a new home

Medical Countermeasures for Radiation Induced Health Effects: Reports of an Interagency Panel Session Held at the NASA Human Research Program Investigator's Workshop, January 26, 2017

An Interagency Panel Session organized by the NASA Human Research Program Space Radiation Program Element (SRPE) was held during the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) Investigators Workshop (IWS) in Galveston, Texas on January 26, 2017 to identify complementary research areas that will advance the testing and development of medical countermeasures (MCM) in support of radioprotection and radiation mitigation on the ground and in space. There were several areas of common interest identified among the various participating agencies. This report provides a summary of the topics discussed by each agency along with potential areas of intersection for mutual collaboration opportunities. Common goals included repurposing of pharmaceuticals, neutraceuticals for use as radioprotectors and/or mitigators, low-dose/chronic exposure paradigms, late effects post-radiation exposure, mixed-field exposures of gamma-neutron, performance decrements, and methods to determine individual exposure levels

Patent Rights

Technology developers today straddle the worlds of software patents and open source software–two worlds that are at philosophical and practical odds. It’s easy for patent portfolio management and open source development to be siloed in your company. Many open source licenses grant royalty–free patent licenses that concern patent portfolio managers, and prosecution of software patents concerns software developers. How can you walk the line between pleasing your investors and your development team? This talk will help you understand how these areas interact, including how open source licenses can be used as strategic and tactical weapons in patent litigation

In Depth Breadth Analyses of Human Blockade Responses to Norovirus and Response to Vaccination

To evaluate and understand the efficacy of vaccine candidates, supportive immunological measures are needed. Critical attributes for a norovirus vaccine are the strength and breadth of antibody responses against the many different genotypes. In the absence of suitable neutralization assays to test samples from vaccine clinical trials, blockade assays offer a method that can measure functional antibodies specific for many of the different norovirus strains. This paper describes development and optimization of blockade assays for an extended panel of 20 different norovirus strains that can provide robust and reliable data needed for vaccine assessment. The blockade assays were used to test a panel of human clinical samples taken before and after vaccination with the Takeda TAK-214 norovirus vaccine. Great variability was evident in the repertoire of blocking antibody responses prevaccination and postvaccination among individuals. Following vaccination with TAK-214, blocking antibody levels were enhanced across a wide spectrum of different genotypes. The results indicate that adults may have multiple exposures to norovirus and that the magnitude and breadth of the complex preexisting antibody response can be boosted and expanded by vaccination

UNDERSTANDING THE GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICANT EXPOSURE: CHERNOBYL AS A MODEL SYSTEM

Abstract—We sampled vole populations in Ukraine with the dual goal of characterizing population diversity and of providing a biogeographic perspective to evaluate experimental designs used for previous studies. Our data indicate that genetic diversity in bank vole populations is widely variable across regions and that diversity estimates in contaminated sites are unremarkable compared to those in uncontaminated areas. Furthermore, the relative frequencies of haplotypes have remained statistically identical throughout multiple sampling periods. Thus, the genetic data from bank vole populations in Ukraine fail to support the hypothesis that mutational changes in contaminated regions are the product of exposure to Chernobyl radiation. Our results suggest that genetic diversity in radioactive regions of Ukraine is probably a function of natural geographic variation rather than increased mutational pressure from radiation exposure and underscore the importance of adequate geographic sampling in studies designed to elucidate the effects of toxicant exposure. Keywords—Chernobyl Bank vole Population genetics Comparative studies Ionizing radiatio

New Strategy to Monitor and Assess Laboratory Biosafety Programs

OBJECTIVE: To develop a toolset to monitor and assess laboratory biosafety program performance and cost INTRODUCTION: Laboratory biosafety – a component of biosecurity – has specific elements that together, comprise a facility’s capability to both protect employees and the surrounding public and environment. Measuring these elements permits assessment and the costing of program-specific safety interventions. In the absence of a strategy and toolset, we developed a conceptual framework and toolset that monitors and assesses laboratory biosafety programs (LBPs) and provides useful information (e.g., return on investment [ROI]) for decision makers. METHODS: We conducted academic and open source literature reviews of LBPs and affiliated organizations laboratory manuals to identify objectives, goals, and indicators. These findings were aligned to laboratory biosafety-specific inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes to create a strategic, conceptual framework (logic models) used to assess performance and measure the cost and ROI. Indicators were identified in existing literature or developed and mapped to the logic model elements. RESULTS: Six logic models were created: laboratory biosafety, biosurety, procedural, biocontainment, information security, and training. The laboratory biosafety logic model served as the overall framework for the remaining five sub-logic models. We also established a database containing 161 indicators mapped to each of the logic model elements. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a strategic framework that monitors and evaluates LBPs. While evaluation of cost-impacts in LBPs provides business intelligence for resource planning, this integrated approach also provides information about gaps. We plan to pilot this toolset and refine indicators using principal component analysis

New Strategy to Monitor and Assess Laboratory Biosafety Programs

Laboratory biosafety -- a component of biosecurity -- has elements that comprise a facility‰Ûªs capability to protect employees and the surrounding public and environment. Six logic models comprising a laboratory biosafety program (LPBs) were established: laboratory biosafety, biosurety, procedural, biocontainment, information security, and training. And 161 indicators were mapped to the logic model elements. These formed a toolset to monitor and evaluate LBPs. While evaluation of cost-impacts provides business intelligence for resource planning, this integrated approach also provides information about LBPs gaps

Identification and Assessment of Public Health Surveillance Gaps under the IHR (2005)

OBJECTIVE: To conceive and develop a model to identify gaps in public health surveillance performance and provide a toolset to assess interventions, cost, and return on investment (ROI). INTRODUCTION: Under the revised International Health Regulations (IHR [2005]) one of the eight core capacities is public health surveillance. In May 2012, despite a concerted effort by the global community, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported out that a significant number of member states would not achieve targeted capacity in the IHR (2005) surveillance core capacity. Currently, there is no model to identify and measure these gaps in surveillance performance. Likewise, there is no toolset to assess interventions by cost and estimate the ROI. We developed a new conceptual framework that: (1) described the work practices to achieve effective and efficient public health surveillance; (2) could identify impediments or gaps in performance; and (3) will assist program managers in decision making. METHODS: Published articles and grey-literature reports, manuals and logic model examples were gathered through a literature review of PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and other databases. Logic models were conceived by categorizing discrete surveillance inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes. Indicators were selected from authoritative sources or developed and then mapped to the logic model elements. These indicators will be weighted using the principle component analysis (PCA), a method for enhanced precision of statistical analysis. Finally, on the front end of the tool, indicators will graphically measure the surveillance gap expressed through the tool’s architecture and provide information using an integrated cost-impact analysis. RESULTS: We developed five public health surveillance logic models: for IHR (2005) compliance; event-based; indicator-based; syndromic; and predictive surveillance domains. The IHR (2005) domain focused on national-level functionality, and the others described the complexities of their specific surveillance work practices. Indicators were then mapped and linked to all logic model elements. CONCLUSIONS: This new framework, intended for self-administration at the national and subnational levels, measured public health surveillance gaps in performance and provided cost and ROI information by intervention. The logic model framework and PCA methodology are tools that both describe work processes and define appropriate variables used for evaluation. However, both require real-world data. We recommend pilot testing and validation of this new framework. Once piloted, the framework could be adapted for the other IHR (2005) core capacities

Identification and Assessment of Public Health Surveillance Gaps under the IHR (2005)

We developed an interactive and comprehensive toolset useful to WHO member states to assess progress toward implementation of the surveillance core capacity under the IHR (2005). The tool will provide data to track progress in achieving effective and efficient public health surveillance. Further, the tool will enable decision makers to allocate resources so as to prioritize needs and assess ROI