International Scientific Conference on Physics and Radio Electronics in Medicine and Ecology (PhREME’2020)

Biomedical Engineering - The papers in this section are based on reports made at the XIVth International Scientific Conference on Physics and Radio Electronics in Medicine and Ecology...     

A glimpse of tissue engineering in China

Tissue engineering activities in China have expanded and advanced to the extent that it is not possible to acknowledge all of the work in one review. Substantial progress has been made in the development of novel biomaterial scaffolds and in the genetic manipulation of cells in vitro. Moreover, certain aspects of tissue engineering strategies have begun to undergo clinical trial. A glimpse of tissue engineering in China was afforded at the First International Conference on Biomaterials (China) held in Beijing, July 24-26, 2001. Several papers presented at the meeting, which was conducted in English only, reflected many of the tissue engineering activities in the country. A brief summary of some of the papers may begin to suggest possibilities for collaboration between tissue engineers inside and outside of China, as well as to facilitate dissemination of important findings.     

Leukocytes, inflammation, and angiogenesis in cancer: fatal attractions

Leukocytes are cells of defense. Their main function is to protect our body against invading microorganisms. Some leukocytes, in particular, polymorphonuclear and monocytes, accumulate at sites of infection and neutralize pathogens through innate mechanisms. The blood and lymphatic vascular system are essential partners in this defensive reaction: Activated endothelial cells promote leukocyte recruitment at inflammatory sites; new blood vessel formation, a process called angiogenesis, sustains chronic inflammation, and lymphatic vessels transport antigens and antigen-presenting cells to lymph nodes, where they stimulate naive T and B lymphocytes to elicit an antigen-specific immune response. In contrast, leukocytes and lymphocytes are far less efficient in protecting us from cancer, the "enemy from within." Worse, cancer can exploit inflammation to its advantage. The role of angiogenesis, leukocytes, and inflammation in tumor progression was discussed at the second Monte Verità Conference, Tumor Host Interaction and Angiogenesis: Basic Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives, held in Ascona, Switzerland, October 1-5, 2005. (Conference chairs were K. Alitalo, M. Aguet, C. Rüegg, and I. Stamenkovic.) Eight articles reporting about topics presented at the conference are featured in this issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.     

Classification and diagnosis of anaemia

Originally presented at Second European Comparative Clinical Pathology Conference, Dijon.     

Implication of clinical pathology in assessment of animal health and in animal production and meat inspection

Clinical, zootechnical and industrial developments of the last decades have led to new ideas on monitoring systems for animal production and meat inspection. Quality assessment systems, integrated monitoring, risk assessment concerning consumer's health and monitoring for infectious animal diseases, are more relevant today than pathomorphological control of individual subjects. Published papers on investigations to assess slaughtered animals by blood variables of classical clinical pathology and by measuring acute phase reactants, are mentioned. Most papers deal with ruminants giving good perspectives for the acute phase proteins in that species. Only limited literature is available regarding acute phase proteins in swine; zinc and iron have been shown to be of little value for general health monitoring in swine.Preliminary studies on limited numbers of finishing pigs showed good prospects for the development of species specific assays for acute phase proteins for future practical use in the slaughterhouse. Isolation procedures for porcine haptoglobin (HP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and C reactive protein (CRP) are described. It is suggested that for monitoring individual animals, the signal of acute phase variable can be amplified considerably by applying an acute phase index (API) combining positive × negative reactants^–1. Calculations on the original data from a former investigation on 233 nonhealthy and 21 control cattle gave excellent results for an API. Similar studies are in progress for swine.Originally presented at the Second European Comparative Clinical Pathology Conference, Dijon     

Dendritic cells at the host-pathogen interface

How DCs integrate information from pathogens, tissues, and innate leukocytes for the induction of immune responses was presented at the second International Conference on Dendritic Cells at the Host-Pathogen Interface.     

Ecology and Human Health: Medical Technology Aspects

Biomedical Engineering - We present here a brief review of the lines of research presented at the section Ecology and Human Health of the XIVth Conference on Physics and Radio Electronics in...     

From process to progress—2017 International Conference on Neurofibromatosis 1, Neurofibromatosis 2 and Schwannomatosis

The neurofibromatoses are inherited, tumor suppressor disorders that are characterized by multiple, benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors and other nervous system tumors. Each disease is associated with a distinct genetic mutation and with a different pathogenesis and clinical course. Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is common and epitomized by multiple neurofibromas with widespread complications. NF2 and schwannomatosis are rare diseases that are typified by multiple schwannomas that are particularly painful in people with schwannomatosis. Since 1985, the Children's Tumor Foundation (formerly the National Neurofibromatosis Foundation) has hosted an international Neurofibromatosis Conference, bringing together international participants who are focused on NF research and clinical care. The 2017 Conference, held in Washington, DC, was among the largest gatherings of NF researchers to date and included presentations from clinicians and basic scientists, highlighting new data regarding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying each of these diseases as well as results from clinical studies and clinical trials. This article summarizes the findings presented at the meeting and represents the current state‐of‐the art for NF research.     

When paradigms fall: the demise of "hit hard, hit early"

Based on information presented at the World AIDS Conference in 1996, doctors and researchers presumed benefits of early treatment for HIV infection with antiretroviral drugs. The assumptions that highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) will cure HIV, safeguard the immune system, postpone possible drug resistance, and increase drug tolerance may be false. Selected data dispute the advantages of early HAART therapy. Although the decrease in AIDS-related deaths are correlated to the introduction of HAART, this decline most often related it to patients with late stage disease. Recent feedback cautions implementing HAART too early, and without adequate clinical data.     

A summary of the 25th International Papillomavirus Conference 2009: Vaccines,screening, epidemiology and therapeutics

The 25th International Papillomavirus Conference was held in Malmo, Sweden, on May 8–14, 2009. The conference encompassed all areas of papillomavirus (PV) research, from clinical vaccinology to molecular biology. This review highlights some of the 237 presentations and 887 abstracts which were presented and summarizes sessions on prophylactic vaccines, screening, epidemiology and therapeutics. Important advances included identification of variants in four genes associated with HPV persistence, new HPV detection are likely new infections and not latency reactivation, and development of effective DNA vaccines that targets E6/E7 genes of HPV11. Also, many studies from different countries demonstrated that HPV vaccination provided sustained protection and substantial reduction of disease burden in both women and men, and in HIV-infected neonates. All the references cited are from the abstract book of the IPV Conference. See http://www.hpv2009.org/.     

The General Practice Research Club.

The General Practice Research Club was established in 1969, and now has 120 members. A meeting of the club is held twice a year, at which various papers, from research ideas through to completed, published studies are presented. A survey of 40 individuals who had presented papers at meetings during the period 1984-89 showed that almost half (18) had presented papers on clinical topics. As a result of the presentation, 29 individuals had modified their research, with 11 undertaking major alterations. The meeting was rated most highly by those offering ideas and plans for research. Most individuals responded positively to the meetings, commenting that they valued peer review, found the meetings encouraging, and useful for focusing ideas. Lack of criticism and feedback was commented upon. The club has an important role to play in encouraging research by service general practitioners.     

Directions and needs in asbestos research: new insights: conference summary

The Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) Conference, entitled "Directions and Needs in Asbestos Research: New Insights," was held at the University of Montana in Missoula. Researchers, physicians, health care workers, and federal agency representatives from around the country met for a cross-disciplinary exploration of many issues related to asbestos research. Topics included community and psychosocial issues in biomedical research, asbestos exposure assessment, assessment and mechanisms of asbestos related diseases, and new research directions. This meeting report is a summary of the conference presentations, and of the topics identified for future research directions. This conference was a follow-up to one hosted by the CEHS in June 2002, and continued to take advantage of opportunities to work with a unique population in Libby MT, where significant asbestos exposures have occurred due to the mining of asbestos-contaminated vermiculite. The goals of this conference were to bring together experts from diverse fields to identify progress made since the last conference and to develop new research avenues that would allow us to address the research needs in emerging asbestos-exposed populations. Participants indicated that these objectives were met, and expressed enthusiasm for follow-up conferences to maintain the dialog that has been established regarding directions and needs in asbestos research. Selected papers from the conference are presented here.     

The widening scope of mentalizing: A discussion

The editors of this special issue have commissioned us to bring together some of the conceptual and empirical research presented in six intriguing papers that illustrate the widening scope of mentalization. Our discussion will look at each paper in turn, but bring ideas and findings from the other papers into focus when relevant.     

Recommendation: National Conference on Training Clinical Child Psychologists

The final recommendations adopted by the National Conference on Training Clinical Child Psychologists hem at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on May 15-18, 1985, are presented. Recommendations are for three levels of training: academic, internship, and postdoctoral/continuing education.     

Joint International Conference on EPR Spectroscopy and wound healing

The International Conference on Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Imaging of Biological Systems (EPR 2005) was held September 4 through 9, 2005, at Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. Nearly 200 participants from 16 countries presented recent advances on the use of EPR technology to study biologic processes, with an emphasis on human health. For the first time, the EPR conference allied with the Wound Healing Conference, and the alliance opened an avenue for successful amalgamation of the basic biomedical and clinical aspects of wound healing with EPR technology and vice versa. This should lead to emerging applications of EPR technology in biomedical research and clinical practice.     

Abstracts presented at the 39th European Muscle Conference of the European Society for Muscle Research

Abstracts

Abstracts presented at the 39th European Muscle Conference of the European Society for Muscle Research Abano Terme, Padova, Italy, September 11–15th, 2010     

Six months before ICH2: An overview on the harmonisation of the guidelines in toxicology

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the necessity of an international harmonisation of the guidelines in toxicology for the safety evaluation of pharmaceutical products, and the role of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH). The organisation of the working-groups and the choice of the topics are descibed, and an overview of the achievement and on the difficulties encountered for this purpose is presented, some months before the ICH2 meeting in Orlando (USA). Originally presented at ECCP 93.     

Six months before ICH2: An overview on the harmonisation of the guidelines in toxicology

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the necessity of an international harmonisation of the guidelines in toxicology for the safety evaluation of pharmaceutical products, and the role of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH). The organisation of the working-groups and the choice of the topics are descibed, and an overview of the achievement and on the difficulties encountered for this purpose is presented, some months before the ICH2 meeting in Orlando (USA). Originally presented at ECCP 93.