-
Frontiers in Psychology 2016Architectonic embodiment postulates a bidirectional link between bodily awareness and the architectural environment. The standard size and features of the human body,... (Review)
Review
Architectonic embodiment postulates a bidirectional link between bodily awareness and the architectural environment. The standard size and features of the human body, for instance, are thought to influence the structure of interiors and buildings, as well as their perception and appreciation. Whereas architectural practice and theory, the visual arts and more recently the cognitive sciences have explored this relationship of humans with their crafted environments, many fictional literary works have long experimented with alterations of body-environment scaling. This so-called Gulliver theme - popular in the science-fiction genre but also in children's literature and philosophical satire - reveals, as a recurrent thought-experiment, our preoccupation with proportions and our fascination for the infinitely small and large. Here I provide an overview of the altered scaling theme in literature, including classics such as Voltaire's Micromégas, Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Caroll's Alice, and Matheson's The Shrinking man, closely examining issues relevant to architectonic embodiment such as: bodily, perceptual, cognitive, affective, and social changes related to alterations in body size relative to people, objects and architectural environments. I next provide a taxonomy of the Gulliver theme and highlight its main psychological features, and then proceed to review relevant work from cognitive science. Although fictional alterations of body-environment scaling far outreach current possibilities in experimental research, I argue that the peripetiae and morals outlined in the literary realm, as products of the human imagination, provide a unique window into the folk-psychology of body and space.
PubMed: 27148156
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00556 -
Nutricion Hospitalaria Nov 2023The microbes that reside in our human body make up our microbiota, and their genes are known as the microbiome. The gut microbiota is involved in a wide variety of...
The microbes that reside in our human body make up our microbiota, and their genes are known as the microbiome. The gut microbiota is involved in a wide variety of functions. At present there is considerable evidence indicating that in the last 60 years there has been an important change in the composition of our microbiota. Dietary changes have been shown to have important effects on the microbiota in a very short space of time. The Mediterranean diet pattern causes changes in the microbiota towards a healthier profile. The changes induced by the Mediterranean diet could be explained, to a large extent, by its richness in polyphenols.
Topics: Humans; Microbiota; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Diet, Mediterranean; Nutritional Status; Polyphenols; Diet
PubMed: 37929905
DOI: 10.20960/nh.04946 -
Frontiers in Surgery 2023Many complications related to silicone implants have been reported recently, from clinical symptoms manifestations to association with some specific types of cancer.... (Review)
Review
Many complications related to silicone implants have been reported recently, from clinical symptoms manifestations to association with some specific types of cancer. During the early 2010s, it was believed that implants were biocompatible and inert to the human body and that gel bleeding/leakage events were rare and without repercussions for the human body. However, at the end of 2010s, several studies pointed out that gel bleeding was more frequent than previously believed, and the pathogenic potential of free silicone should not be ignored. The Food and Drug Administration recommends performing magnetic resonance imaging in asymptomatic patients 5-6 years after implant placement. The descriptors in the Breast Imaging and Reporting Data System lexicon seem outdated for classifying the new generations of implants with cohesive gel, which hinders the diagnosis of device complications. In this review, supported by our research data publications related to silicone implants for 6 years on a prospective study protocol, most of them being original articles, we summarized the main complications observed in clinical practice and discuss the impact of these changes on patients' outcomes focusing on the pericapsular space.
PubMed: 37780912
DOI: 10.3389/fsurg.2023.1249078 -
Surgical Infections Apr 2023The human microbiome is vast and is present in spaces previously thought to be sterile such as the lungs. A healthy microbiome is diverse and functions in an adaptive...
The human microbiome is vast and is present in spaces previously thought to be sterile such as the lungs. A healthy microbiome is diverse and functions in an adaptive way to support local as well as organism health and function. Furthermore, a normal microbiome is essential for normal immune system development rendering the array of microbes that live in and on the human body key components of homeostasis. A wide array of clinical conditions and interventions including anesthesia, analgesia, and surgical intervention may derange the human microbiome in a maladaptive fashion with bacterial responses spanning decreased diversity to transformation to a pathogenic phenotype. Herein, we explore the normal microbiome of the skin, gastrointestinal tract, and the lungs as prototype sites to describe the influence of the microbiomes in each of those locations on health, and how care may derange those relations.
Topics: Humans; Microbiota; Gastrointestinal Tract; Lung; Bacteria
PubMed: 37010974
DOI: 10.1089/sur.2023.002 -
Journal of Bacteriology Feb 2021Like other microbes that live on or in the human body, the bacteria that inhabit the upper respiratory tract, in particular the nasal cavity, have evolved to survive in... (Review)
Review
Like other microbes that live on or in the human body, the bacteria that inhabit the upper respiratory tract, in particular the nasal cavity, have evolved to survive in an environment that presents a number of physical and chemical challenges; these microbes are constantly bombarded with nutritional fluctuations, changes in humidity, the presence of inhaled particulate matter (odorants and allergens), and competition with other microbes. Indeed, only a specialized set of species is able to colonize this niche and successfully contend with the host's immune system and the constant threat from competitors. To this end, bacteria that live in the nasal cavity have evolved a variety of approaches to outcompete contenders for the limited nutrients and space; broadly speaking, these strategies may be considered a type of "bacterial warfare." A greater molecular understanding of bacterial warfare has the potential to reveal new approaches or molecules that can be developed as novel therapeutics. As such, there are many studies within the last decade that have sought to understand the complex polymicrobial interactions that occur in various environments. Here, we review what is currently known about the age-dependent structure and interbacterial relationships within the nasal microbiota and summarize the molecular mechanisms that are predicted to dictate bacterial warfare in this niche. Although the currently described interactions are complex, in reality, we have likely only scratched the surface in terms of a true understanding of the types of interbacterial competition and cooperation that are thought to take place in and on the human body.
Topics: Animals; Antibiosis; Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; Humans; Mice; Microbiota; Nasal Cavity; Symbiosis
PubMed: 33077632
DOI: 10.1128/JB.00480-20 -
NPJ Microgravity Aug 2023Advancements in plant space biology are required for the realization of human space exploration missions, where the re-supply of resources from Earth is not feasible.... (Review)
Review
Advancements in plant space biology are required for the realization of human space exploration missions, where the re-supply of resources from Earth is not feasible. Until a few decades ago, space life science was focused on the impact of the space environment on the human body. More recently, the interest in plant space biology has increased because plants are key organisms in Bioregenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for the regeneration of resources and fresh food production. Moreover, plants play an important role in psychological support for astronauts. The definition of cultivation requirements for the design, realization, and successful operation of BLSS must consider the effects of space factors on plants. Altered gravitational fields and radiation exposure are the main space factors inducing changes in gene expression, cell proliferation and differentiation, signalling and physiological processes with possible consequences on tissue organization and organogenesis, thus on the whole plant functioning. Interestingly, the changes at the cellular and molecular levels do not always result in organismic or developmental changes. This apparent paradox is a current research challenge. In this paper, the main findings of gravity- and radiation-related research on higher plants are summarized, highlighting the knowledge gaps that are still necessary to fill. Existing experimental facilities to simulate the effect of space factors, as well as requirements for future facilities for possible experiments to achieve fundamental biology goals are considered. Finally, the need for making synergies among disciplines and for establishing global standard operating procedures for analyses and data collection in space experiments is highlighted.
PubMed: 37604914
DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00315-x -
Frontiers in Cell and Developmental... 2021The human body is normally adapted to maintain homeostasis in a terrestrial environment. The novel conditions of a space environment introduce challenges that changes... (Review)
Review
The human body is normally adapted to maintain homeostasis in a terrestrial environment. The novel conditions of a space environment introduce challenges that changes the cellular response to its surroundings. Such an alteration causes physical changes in the extracellular microenvironment, inducing the secretion of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β) from cancer cells to enhance cancer malignancy. Cancer is one of the most prominent cell types to be affected by mechanical cues via active interaction with the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanism by which cancer cells mechanotransduce in the space environment, as well as the influence of this process on human health, have not been fully elucidated. Due to the growing interest in space biology, this article reviews cancer cell responses to the representative conditions altered in space: microgravity, decompression, and irradiation. Interestingly, cytokine and gene expression that assist in tumor survival, invasive phenotypic transformation, and cancer cell proliferation are upregulated when exposed to both simulated and actual space conditions. The necessity of further research on space mechanobiology such as simulating more complex experiments or finding other mechanical cues that may be encountered during spaceflight are emphasized.
PubMed: 34957091
DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.740009 -
Neurology India 2019This review discusses the past and recent findings on how changes in gravity affect cellular and subcellular parameters of the human nervous system and the... (Review)
Review
This review discusses the past and recent findings on how changes in gravity affect cellular and subcellular parameters of the human nervous system and the implementation of cell and tissue models of nervous tissue on space biology. In order to prepare for long duration space exploration, a focus on space life sciences research is critical. Such research not only improves our knowledge of the basic biological processes but also elucidates the mechanisms and treatment of various earthly medical conditions. However, the study of living organisms in space poses many challenges that may be negligible or nonexistent in ground-based research. In recent years, with an increase in the number of spaceflights, extended periods of stay of astronauts on the International Space station and the imminent possibility of future long term deep space exploration missions, there is a great deal of attention focused on the effects induced by altered gravitation on the human body, and in particular, on bone, skeletal muscle, immunity and brain function. The aim of this review is to collate, encapsulate and examine the effects of altered gravity on neuronal cell structure and function that have been established from data obtained during experiments performed in real microgravity and simulated microgravity like conditions.
Topics: Animals; Cell Membrane; Humans; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Neuroglia; Neurons; Space Flight; Weightlessness
PubMed: 31347535
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.263169 -
NPJ Microgravity Dec 2021The target of human flight in space has changed from permanence on the International Space Station to missions beyond low earth orbit and the Lunar Gateway for deep... (Review)
Review
The target of human flight in space has changed from permanence on the International Space Station to missions beyond low earth orbit and the Lunar Gateway for deep space exploration and Missions to Mars. Several conditions affecting space missions had to be considered: for example the effect of weightlessness and radiations on the human body, behavioral health decrements or communication latency, and consumable resupply. Telemedicine and telerobotic applications, robot-assisted surgery with some hints on experimental surgical procedures carried out in previous missions, had to be considered as well. The need for greater crew autonomy in health issues is related to the increasing severity of medical and surgical interventions that could occur in these missions, and the presence of a highly trained surgeon on board would be recommended. A surgical robot could be a valuable aid but only inasfar as it is provided with multiple functions, including the capability to perform certain procedures autonomously. Space missions in deep space or on other planets present new challenges for crew health. Providing a multi-function surgical robot is the new frontier. Research in this field shall be paving the way for the development of new structured plans for human health in space, as well as providing new suggestions for clinical applications on Earth.
PubMed: 34934056
DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00183-3