Future perspectives for applied psychophysiology and biofeedback

Current circumstances in both the health science and health care delivery systems in our country have created serious problems for health professionals, particularly for those of us in the relatively young field of biofeedback. At the same time, recent and emerging developments in the neurosciences and in technologies for biological measurement offer exciting new opportunities for the applied psychophysiology upon which our field is based. Examples of these developments include the elucidation of potential neurophysiological mechanisms that may mediate the psychophysiology of immune system responses, and technical achievements leading to on-line, noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging of brain neurochemistry. The issue of perspective is raised in relation to our response to both the challenge and the opportunities of our times.This was the presidential address delivered to the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, San Diego, March 19, 1989. The work was supported by the Veterans Administration.     

Neither a mentalist nor a reductionist be!

There is basis for concern that applied psychophysiology, if not the field of biofeedback, is being coopted by, and merged into, a reborn "inner" model, with the return of "cognition" to preeminence in the "psych" and "neuro" disciplines. Despite currently fashionable views that such mentalistic inventions and neuro/psychological developments somehow illuminate behavior or offer simpler accounts of behavioral facts, there is little or no evidence that any such construction has ever told us anything new about behavior.     

Applied Psychophysiology: Beyond the Boundaries of Biofeedback (Mending a Wall, a Brief History of Our Field, and Applications to Control of the Muscles and Cardiorespiratory Systems)

The field of applied psychophysiology overlaps a number of others, from behavioral and psychosomatic medicine to Eastern disciplines and complementary medicine. Although the proliferation of societies and professional identities across these fields emphasizes this diversity, it also may hinder growth. The history of our field is one of innovation, often at odds with conventional wisdom and practice. It is important that this innovativeness not be sacrificed in a justified quest for professional respectability. This paper reviews the earliest research in biofeedback and applied psychophysiology, and modern applications and interpretations in the areas of muscular and autonomic control, including progressive relaxation and heart rate variability biofeedback, and draws parallels to disciplines of Yoga, QiGong, and Zen practices and their psychophysiological effects.     

Biofeedback and applied psychophysiology at the crossroads

Biofeedback and applied psychophysiology, as tools, as objects of scientific inquiry, and as clinical interventions, have progressed from speculative experiment to data-based research, from trial clinical intervention to efficacy studies and accountability. These are multidisciplinary approaches, crossing the boundary between traditional professions such as medicine, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health care related fields. Along the way we as an Association, our members both scientists and practitioners, have encountered the many hurdles and stumbling blocks that stand in the way of developing new technologies. How we deal with these obstacles shapes us as a group and shapes the perceptions of others who view us. An attempt will be made to place the current development of the field within the context of the rapidly changing health care environment, and to address the challenges, and sometimes conflicting demands, of experimental science and clinical practice.     

Twenty-five years of progress: Twenty-five more?

This address outlines important steps for ensuring the future of biofeedback and applied psychophysiology. These steps are contained in the acronym PHUTRE, wherein PH stands for Political activism of the Hard and fast variety, U represents United front, T encompasses Transfer of knowledge (from clinician to researcher, researcher to clinician, and from both to students in training), R refers to our Research base, and E represents the Excitement that our field has the potential to generate.This paper is based on the Presidential Address delivered at the annual meeting of AAPB, Atlanta, Georgia, March, 1994. Please address correspondence to Frank Andrasik, Ph.D., Center for Behavioral Medicine, The University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, Florida 32514.     

Technical aspects of telepathology with emphasis on future development.

Pathology undergoes presently changes due to new developments in diagnostic opportunities and cost saving efforts in health care. Out of the wide field of telepathology the paper selects three prototype applications: telepathology in teleeducation, expert advice for preselected details of a slide and finally telepathology for remote diagnosis. The most challenging field for remote diagnosis is the application in the frozen section scenario. The paper starts with the mental experiment to map conventional procedures to counterparts in telepathology. Technical opportunities and economical restrictions of telepathology equipment are discussed with respect to the components: electronic camera, display devices, haptic sensors and displays, available telecommunication channels and telepathology software. As an example and for illustration of the state of the art for an advanced telemicroscopy system able to perform remote frozen section diagnosis, the HISTKOM equipment is presented in more details. The section concerning future developments regards the aspects of the acceptance by tentative users, legal aspects, costs and affordability of equipment, the market for equipment components and the adequate telecommunication services. Further is regarded the mutual influence of properties of existing systems and application experiences gained with them on the next generation of equipment and application software. Conclusions and references close the paper.     

Applications of landscape genetics in conservation biology: concepts and challenges

Landscape genetics plays an increasingly important role in the management and conservation of species. Here, we highlight some of the opportunities and challenges in using landscape genetic approaches in conservation biology. We first discuss challenges related to sampling design and introduce several recent methodological developments in landscape genetics (analyses based on pairwise relatedness, the application of Bayesian methods, inference from landscape resistance and a shift from population-based to individual-based analyses). We then show how simulations can foster the field of landscape genetics and, finally, elaborate on technical developments in sequencing techniques that will dramatically improve our ability to study genetic variation in wild species, opening up new and unprecedented avenues for genetic analysis in conservation biology.     

So you think you want to save the world

There is increasing interest among both medical and other professional communities in becoming involved in global health, development, and other charitable work. There has also been a proliferation of opportunities in the field. Nonetheless, it is still difficult to find practical information on the daily realities of development work or advice on the difficulties inherent to this type of work. This article is intended for individuals who are interested in becoming involved in global health and development work. Through a discussion that touches on development economics, the history, psychology, and current state of development aid, the common conflicts, as well as the rewards of development work, this article aims to prepare the interested individual for the experience of global health and development work. The article also provides practical suggestions and references for those searching for an opportunity in the field, with an emphasis on global health opportunities.     

Neurophysiological foundations and practical realizations of the brain–machine interfaces in the technology in neurological rehabilitation

The brain–computer interface (BCI) technology, based on the registration and interpretation of EEG, has recently become one of the most popular developments in neuroscience and psychophysiology. This is due not only to the intended future use of these technologies in many areas of practical human activity, but also to the fact that BCI is a completely new paradigm in psychophysiology, which allows testing hypotheses about the possibilities of the human brain to the development of skills of interaction with the outside world without the mediation of the motor system, i.e., only with the help of voluntary modulation of EEG generators. This paper examines the theoretical and experimental basis, the current state, and the prospects of development of training, communicational, and assisting complexes based on BCI to control them without muscular effort on the basis of decoding mental commands detected in the EEG of patients with severely impaired speech and motor system.     

Response: Freedom from Pain as a Rawlsian Primary Good

In a recent article in this journal, Carl Knight and Andreas Albertsen argue that Rawlsian theories of distributive justice as applied to health and healthcare fail to accommodate both palliative care and the desirability of less painful treatments. The asserted Rawlsian focus on opportunities or capacities, as exemplified in Normal Daniels’ developments of John Rawls’ theory, results in a normative account of healthcare which is at best only indirectly sensitive to pain and so unable to account for the value of efforts of which the sole purpose is pain reduction. I argue that, far from undermining the Rawlsian project and its application to problems of health, what the authors’ argument at most amounts to is a compelling case for the inclusion of freedom from physical pain within its index of primary goods.     

Will biofilm disassembly agents make it to market?

Nearly 12 years after promising results suggested that antibiofilm agents might be developed into novel therapeutics, there are no such products on the market. In our opinion, the reasons for this have been predominantly economic. Recent developments, however, suggest that there could still be emerging opportunities for the developments of such products.     

Continuing education alternatives for professional development

Continuing education is an important, and often required, activity for those involved in laboratory animal science to remain abreast of developments in the field. The authors contrast many of the different professional development opportunities, from on-campus courses, to online programs, to correspondence courses, helping readers to determine which form best meets their individual needs.     

Bringing Conservation Medicine into the Veterinary Curriculum: The Tufts Example

The Center for Conservation Medicine at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine (TuftsCCM), has helped to define the concept of conservation medicine as a new science that examines the interaction between human, animal, and environmental health. One the Center’s main objectives in pursuing this new science has been to incorporate conservation medicine and ecosystem health principles into the veterinary curriculum. Environmental influences on disease dynamics in animals has always had a place in veterinary medicine, but often has not been adequately explored. Many opportunities exist within a traditional veterinary curriculum to strengthen this perspective, and to bring depth and new meaning to the understanding of disease and the role of animals in ecosystem health. The Tufts program is designed to reach both the general veterinary student and the student interested in a career in conservation medicine through core teaching, elective opportunities, research opportunities, and extracurricular seminars and workshops. The core curriculum exposes every veterinary student to an ecosystem health perspective of veterinary medicine that helps them realize the impact that this approach can have on their professional lives, regardless of their chosen specialty. Committed conservation medicine students benefit from specialty courses, a wide range of experiential and field research opportunities and active mentoring. Future challenges call for development of more graduate opportunities, continued interdisciplinary collaboration with other educational institutions, and continued curricular integration of this new paradigm of health and disease into veterinary medical education.     

Translational synthetic biology

Synthetic biology is a recent scientific approach towards engineering biological systems from both pre-existing and novel parts. The aim is to introduce computational aided design approach in biology leading to rapid delivery of useful applications. Though the term reprogramming has been frequently used in the synthetic biology community, currently the technological sophistication only allows for a probabilistic approach instead of a precise engineering approach. Recently, several human health applications have emerged that suggest increased usage of synthetic biology approach in developing novel drugs. This mini review discusses recent translational developments in the field and tries to identify some of the upcoming future developments.     

植物生物反应器生产药物蛋白的前景

转基因植物作为生物反应器生产重要的药用蛋白,如抗体、血液替代品和疫苗,为健康保健和科学研究提供充足的生物药物,满足人们日益增长的需要。本文综述了这一领域的研究进展以及商业化前景。     

Genomics and post-genomics in parasitology: genome babble or a real opportunity?

The genome projects represent one of the most important developments in our knowledge of parasites. However, translation of this knowledge into an understanding of parasite biology and then on to drugs, vaccines and other healthcare developments for the diseases will need some élan and clarity of thought by scientists and funding organizations. Only then will the activity associated with post-genomics be turned from what I have termed 'genome babble' to real opportunities in understanding these parasites.     

The contribution of neuroscience to exercise studies

Recent advances in neuroscience have resulted in theoretical and technological developments and a substantial data base that provide new opportunities for those involved in exercise studies. The scope of opportunities available as a result of these advances is explored in brief reviews of four areas of inquiry: phase- and state-dependent reflexes; the effects of motor activity on neuronal responses to injury; the orderly recruitment of motor units; and fatigue. Within the framework of a tripartite neural control model, an examination of the extent of our knowledge on fatigue revealed two features. First, although numerous failure sites have been identified as potential contributors to the force reduction of fatigue, little is known about the relative significance of these failure sites in everyday activity. Second, technical developments have made it feasible to address the central nervous system aspects of fatigue on a cellular basis.     

体内连续进化——从噬菌体到真核基因组的进化故事（英文）

进化是生物多样性产生和保留的自然进程。通过对编码蛋白质的基因进行有目的地设计和改造,获得性能更优异的蛋白质用于生产生活,是蛋白质工程的目的所在。为了在实验室中通过定向进化的蛋白质工程模拟自然进化的实现过程,研究人员通过在快速增殖的原核生物和简单的真核生物中引入靶向诱变元件,建立了各种体内连续进化系统。本综述介绍了体内连续进化平台的现状,重点关注噬菌体和酵母中人工进化技术的研究进展,并对其在生物技术领域中的成功应用进行了总结,最后简要展望了体内连续进化这一新兴领域的发展方向。     

Chemoinformatics: A view of the field and current trends in method development

The chemoinformatics field continues to evolve at the interface between computer science and chemistry. Chemical information and computational approaches in pharmaceutical research are major focal points of chemoinformatics. However, the boundaries of this discipline are rather fluid and the chemoinformatics spectrum is difficult to delineate. The field is in flux, which also provides opportunities for further developments. As a lead-in to the Chemoinformatics Symposium-in-Print, we present a brief view of this discipline (with a little anecdotal touch), highlight current trends in method development, and discuss a number of representative examples.     

Novel insights into the molecular origins and treatment of lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common and most deadly cancer worldwide. Because of the aggressive and metastatic nature of many forms of the disease, it is frequently diagnosed late and responds poorly to the therapies currently available. Although our understanding of the molecular origins and evolution of lung cancer is still incomplete, recent research has yielded several developments that may offer opportunities for new, targeted and effective therapy. In this review we first discuss the prevalence and origins of lung cancer, with emphasis on non-small-cell lung cancer and adenocarcinoma, together with current treatments and their efficacy. We then look at a selection of recent papers which between them shed new light on possible therapeutic opportunities, including a novel synthetic interaction with the Kras gene and genomic or proteomic profiling studies that may pave the way for personalized treatment for lung cancer based on specific “signatures” of protein and gene expression.Lung cancer remains the foremost cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Despite advances in both detection and treatment, diagnosis is often late and the prognosis for patients poor. Our understanding of the molecular basis and progression of lung cancer remains incomplete, hampering the design and development of more effective diagnostic tools and therapies for this devastating disease. However, the last twelve months have witnessed the publication of several studies that represent significant advances in our knowledge of lung cancer, and may represent important steps on the road to effective new therapies. In this review we aim to summarize these recent developments, and give our perspectives on the therapeutic possibilities they may offer in the future.Key words: lung cancer, adenocarcinoma, egfr, kras, chemotherapy, synthetic lethal, genomic profiling, customized therapy, cancer stem cells, hypoxia-inducible factor