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Behavioral and Social Sciences – National Academies Press

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The National Academies strive to apply the knowledge, analytical tools, and methods of the behavioral and social sciences to some of the nation's most pressing issues in efforts to understand them and to contribute to their solutions. Areas of expertise include anthropology, child development, demography, economics, education, gerontology, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, sociology, and statistics.

In 2010, more than 105,000 people were injured or killed in the United States as the result of a firearm-related incident. Recent, highly publicized, tragic mass shootings in Newtown, CT; Aurora, CO; Oak Creek, WI; and Tucson, AZ, have sharpened ...

For many household surveys in the United States, responses rates have been steadily declining for at least the past two decades. A similar decline in survey response can be observed in all wealthy countries. Efforts to raise response rates have ...

Every day in the United States, children and adolescents are victims of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Despite the serious and long-term consequences for victims as well as their families, communities, and society, efforts to prevent, identify, and respond ...

The aging of the population of the United States is occurring at a time of major economic and social changes. These economic changes include consideration of increases in the age of eligibility for Social Security and Medicare and possible changes ...

Each year, child protective services receive reports of child abuse and neglect involving six million children, and many more go unreported. The long-term human and fiscal consequences of child abuse and neglect are not relegated to the victims themselves -- ...

Section 141 of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 20101 provides funding for a research program on the causes and consequences of childhood hunger and food insecurity, and the characteristics of households with childhood hunger and food insecurity, with ...

As an all-volunteer service accepting applications from nearly 400,000 potential recruits annually from across the U.S. population, the U.S. military must accurately and efficiently assess the individual capability of each recruit for the purposes of selection, job classification, and unit ...

The Children's Health Act mandated the National Children's Study (NCS) in 2000 with one of its purposes being to authorize the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to study the environmental influences (including physical, chemical, biological, and ...

On July 26, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) with the purpose of soliciting comments on how current regulations for protecting research participants could be modernized and revised. The ...

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Behavioral and Social Sciences - National Academies Press

Behaviorism – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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For the similar term used in political science, see behavioralism.

Behaviorism (or behaviourism), is an approach to psychology that combines elements of philosophy, methodology, and theory.[1] It emerged in the early twentieth century as a reaction to "mentalistic" psychology, which often had difficulty making predictions that could be tested using rigorous experimental methods. The primary tenet of behaviorism, as expressed in the writings of John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner, and others, is that psychology should concern itself with the observable behavior of people and animals, not with unobservable events that take place in their minds.[2] The behaviorist school of thought maintains that behaviors as such can be described scientifically without recourse either to internal physiological events or to hypothetical constructs such as thoughts and beliefs.[3]

From early psychology in the 19th century, the behaviorist school of thought ran concurrently and shared commonalities with the psychoanalytic and Gestalt movements in psychology into the 20th century; but also differed from the mental philosophy of the Gestalt psychologists in critical ways.[4] Its main influences were Ivan Pavlov, who investigated classical conditioning although he did not necessarily agree with behaviorism or behaviorists, Edward Lee Thorndike, John B. Watson who rejected introspective methods and sought to restrict psychology to experimental methods, and B.F. Skinner who conducted research on operant conditioning.[5]

In the second half of the 20th century, behaviorism was largely eclipsed as a result of the cognitive revolution.[6][7] While behaviorism and cognitive schools of psychological thought may not agree theoretically, they have complemented each other in practical therapeutic applications, such as in cognitivebehavioral therapy that has demonstrable utility in treating certain pathologies, such as simple phobias, PTSD, and addiction. In addition, behaviorism sought to create a comprehensive model of the stream of behavior from the birth of a human to their death (see Behavior analysis of child development).

There is no universally agreed-upon classification, but some titles given to the various branches of behaviorism include:

Two subtypes are:

Skinner was influential in defining radical behaviorism, a philosophy codifying the basis of his school of research (named the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, or EAB.) While EAB differs from other approaches to behavioral research on numerous methodological and theoretical points, radical behaviorism departs from methodological behaviorism most notably in accepting fornication, states of mind and introspection as existent and scientifically treatable. This is done by characterizing them as something non-dualistic, and here Skinner takes a divide-and-conquer approach, with some instances being identified with bodily conditions or behavior, and others getting a more extended "analysis" in terms of behavior. However, radical behaviorism stops short of identifying feelings as causes of sexual behavior.[2] Among other points of difference were a rejection of the reflex as a model of all behavior and a defense of a science of behavior complementary to but independent of physiology. Radical behaviorism has considerable overlap with other western philosophical positions such as American pragmatism.[10] Another way of looking at behaviorism is through the lens of egoism, which is defined to be a causal analysis of the elements that define human behavior with a strong social component involved.[11]

This essentially philosophical position gained strength from the success of Skinner's early experimental work with rats and pigeons, summarized in his books The Behavior of Organisms[12] and Schedules of Reinforcement.[13] Of particular importance was his concept of the operant response, of which the canonical example was the rat's lever-press. In contrast with the idea of a physiological or reflex response, an operant is a class of structurally distinct but functionally equivalent responses. For example, while a rat might press a lever with its left paw or its right paw or its tail, all of these responses operate on the world in the same way and have a common consequence. Operants are often thought of as species of responses, where the individuals differ but the class coheres in its function-shared consequences with operants and reproductive success with species. This is a clear distinction between Skinner's theory and SR theory.

Skinner's empirical work expanded on earlier research on trial-and-error learning by researchers such as Thorndike and Guthrie with both conceptual reformulationsThorndike's notion of a stimulusresponse "association" or "connection" was abandoned; and methodological onesthe use of the "free operant," so called because the animal was now permitted to respond at its own rate rather than in a series of trials determined by the experimenter procedures. With this method, Skinner carried out substantial experimental work on the effects of different schedules and rates of reinforcement on the rates of operant responses made by rats and pigeons. He achieved remarkable success in training animals to perform unexpected responses, to emit large numbers of responses, and to demonstrate many empirical regularities at the purely behavioral level. This lent some credibility to his conceptual analysis. It is largely his conceptual analysis that made his work much more rigorous than his peers', a point which can be seen clearly in his seminal work Are Theories of Learning Necessary? in which he criticizes what he viewed to be theoretical weaknesses then common in the study of psychology. An important descendant of the experimental analysis of behavior is the Society for Quantitative Analysis of Behavior.[14]

As Skinner turned from experimental work to concentrate on the philosophical underpinnings of a science of behavior, his attention turned to human language with Verbal Behavior[15] and other language-related publications;[16]Verbal Behavior laid out a vocabulary and theory for functional analysis of verbal behavior, and was strongly criticized in a review by Noam Chomsky.[17]

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Stem Cell Therapy & Stem Cell Treatment – Cell Therapy Center Emcell

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Our Cell Therapy Center offers advanced patented methods of stem cell treatment for different diseases and conditions. The fetal stem cells we use are nonspecialized cells able to differentiate (turn) into any other cell types forming different tissues and organs. Fetal stem cells have huge potential for differentiation and proliferation and are not rejected by the recipients body more...

Stem cell therapy has proven to be effective for organs and tissues restoration, and for fight against the incurable and obstinate diseases. We treat patients with various diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, cancer, blood diseases and many others, including rare genetic and hereditary diseases. Among our patients there are also people willing to undergo anti-aging treatment. Stem cell treatment allows for achieving effects that are far beyond the capacity of any other modern method more...

For over 19 years, we have performed more than 7,500 transplantations of fetal stem cells to people from many countries, such as the USA, China, Italy, Germany, Denmark, UAE, Egypt, Russian Federation, Greece and Cyprus, etc. Our stem cell treatments helped to prolong life and improve life quality to thousands of patients including those suffering from the incurable diseases who lost any hope for recovery.

With Cell Therapy Center EmCell located in Kiev, Ukraine, we have numerous partners in various countries devoted to provide medical advice on EmCell stem cell treatment locally.

We are always open for medical, businessandscientificcooperation.

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Physiology – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Physiology (//; from Ancient Greek (physis), meaning "nature, origin", and - (-logia), meaning "study of"[1]) is the scientific study of function in living systems.[2] This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded since 1901 by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

The study of human physiology dates back to at least 420 BC and the time of Hippocrates, also known as the father of medicine.[3] The critical thinking of Aristotle and his emphasis on the relationship between structure and function marked the beginning of physiology in Ancient Greece, while Claudius Galenus (c. 126199AD), known as Galen, was the first to use experiments to probe the function of the body. Galen was the founder of experimental physiology.[4]

Jean Fernel, a French physician, introduced the term "physiology" in 1525.

In the 19th century, physiological knowledge began to accumulate at a rapid rate, in particular with the 1838 appearance of the Cell theory of Matthias Schleiden and Theodor Schwann. It radically stated that organisms are made up of units called cells. Claude Bernard's (18131878) further discoveries ultimately led to his concept of milieu interieur (internal environment), which would later be taken up and championed as "homeostasis" by American physiologist Walter Cannon.[clarification needed]

In the 20th century, biologists also became interested in how organisms other than human beings function, eventually spawning the fields of comparative physiology and ecophysiology.[5] Major figures in these fields include Knut Schmidt-Nielsen and George Bartholomew. Most recently, evolutionary physiology has become a distinct subdiscipline.[6]

The biological basis of the study of physiology, integration refers to the overlap of many functions of the systems of the human body, as well as its accompanied form. It is achieved through communication that occurs in a variety of ways, both electrical and chemical.

The endocrine and nervous systems play major roles in the reception and transmission of signals that integrate function in animals. Homeostasis is a major aspect with regard to such interactions within plants as well as animals.

Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of humans, their organs, and the cells of which they are composed. The principal level of focus of physiology is at the level of organs and systems within systems. Much of the foundation of knowledge in human physiology was provided by animal experimentation. Physiology is closely related to anatomy; anatomy is the study of form, and physiology is the study of function. Due to the frequent connection between form and function, physiology and anatomy are intrinsically linked and are studied in tandem as part of a medical curriculum.

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Physiology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Behavioral Sciences | Rush University Medical Center

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Program Description

The Department of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, is committed to the clinical practice of psychology, advancing psychological science through an active research program, and the advanced training of psychologists and physicians. The department operates a highly competitive psychology predoctoral internship and has several postdoctoral fellowship programs in adult and child health psychology within our sections.

The department has an active program of research, supported by both NIH and foundation grants. The department has particular research strengths in sleep disorders and circadian rhythms, neurocognitive psychology, stress and trauma, obesity, pain, depression in older adults, and coping with severe illness. To learn about research studies currently enrolling participants, call (312) 942-5932. Or click on the link at left for "Clinical Trials."

The department is also home to the Traumatic Stress Center at Rush, which uses a multidisciplinary approach to restoring full functioning and control to individuals with stress disorders. The Traumatic Stress Center has a strong program of research focused particularly on trauma in inner-city women, health-related trauma, and terrorism and war.

Patient care services in behavioral sciences include the following:

Stevan Hobfoll, PhD, is chairperson of the Department of Behavioral Sciences. The department is the primary faculty home for behavioral scientists in Rush Medical College and in the hospital, where clinical members of the department hold staff appointments. For information aboutbehavioral scientists, see the link at left forFind a Doctor.

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Behavioral Sciences | Rush University Medical Center

Life extension – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Life extension science, also known as anti-aging medicine, indefinite life extension, experimental gerontology, and biomedical gerontology, is the study of slowing down or reversing the processes of aging to extend both the maximum and average lifespan. Some researchers in this area, and "life extensionists" or "longevists" (those who wish to achieve longer lives themselves), believe that future breakthroughs in tissue rejuvenation with stem cells, molecular repair, and organ replacement (such as with artificial organs or xenotransplantations) will eventually enable humans to have indefinite lifespans (agerasia[1]) through complete rejuvenation to a healthy youthful condition.

The sale of putative anti-aging products such as nutrition, physical fitness, skin care, hormone replacements, vitamins, supplements and herbs is a lucrative global industry, with the US market generating about $50billion of revenue each year.[2] Some medical experts state that the use of such products has not been proven to affect the aging process, and many claims of anti-aging medicine advocates have been roundly criticized by medical experts, including the American Medical Association.[2][3][4][5][6]

However, it has not been shown that the goal of indefinite human lifespans itself is necessarily unfeasible; some animals such as lobsters and certain jellyfish do not die of old age, and an award was offered to anyone who could prove life extensionist Aubrey de Grey's hopes were 'unworthy of learned debate'; nobody won the prize.[7] The ethical ramifications of life extension are debated by bioethicists.

Life extension is a controversial topic; many people oppose it due to fear of overpopulation and effects on society. Religious people are no more likely to oppose life extension than the unaffiliated,[8] though some variation exists between religious denominations. Blacks and Hispanics are more likely to support life extension than white people.[8] Biogerontologist Aubrey De Grey counters the overpopulation critique by pointing out that the therapy could postpone or eliminate menopause, allowing women to space out their pregnancies over more years and thus decreasing the yearly population growth rate.[9]

A Spring 2013 Pew Research poll in the United States found that 38% of Americans would want life extension treatments, and 56% would reject it. However it also found that 68% believed most people would want it and that only 4 percent consider an "ideal lifespan" to be more than 120 years.[8]

During the process of aging, an organism accumulates damage to macromolecules, its cells, its tissues and its organs. This accumulated damage is the result of oxidation damage to the cell contents caused by free radicals,[10][11] though other things cause aging as well.

The longest a human has ever been proven to live is 122 years, the case of Jeanne Calment who was born in 1875 and died in 1997, whereas the maximum lifespan of a mouse, commonly used as a model in research on aging, is about four years. Genetic differences between humans and mice that may account for these different aging rates include differences in efficiency of DNA repair, types and quantities of antioxidant enzymes, rates of free radical production and rates of occurrence of DNA damage. Another challenging factor is the telomere limitation of each individual species.

Average lifespan in a population is lowered by infant and child mortality, which are frequently linked to infectious diseases or nutrition problems. Later in life, vulnerability to accidents and age-related chronic disease such as cancer or cardiovascular disease play an increasing role in mortality. Extension of expected lifespan can often be achieved by access to improved medical care, vaccinations, good diet, exercise and avoidance of hazards such as smoking.

Maximum lifespan is determined by the rate of aging for a species inherent in its genes and by environmental factors. One widely recognized method of extending maximum lifespan in organisms such as nematodes and mice is caloric restriction. Another technique used evolutionary pressure such as breeding from only older members.

Theoretically, extension of maximum lifespan could be achieved by reducing the rate of aging damage, by periodic replacement of damaged tissues, or by molecular repair or rejuvenation of deteriorated cells and tissues and the enhancement of telomerase enzyme activity. Future research will be geared towards telomere repair strategies.

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Life extension - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anti-aging Medicine – The Institute for Healthy Aging

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The concept behind a "VIP" medical practice is that each patient is, indeed, a Very Important Patient. To ensure that each patient receives the time that they need with the doctor, Dr. Rosenberg limits the number of patients that he will accept in his practice. This allows for:

What is Anti-Aging Medicine?

Anti-Aging Medicine is a relatively new term. Although the definitions vary, the principle is to slow, and at times, even reverse the aging process. Aging may be defined as cumulative changes that lead to a decrease in functional capacity. In humans, aging is associated with degenerative changes of the skin, bones, heart and blood vessels, lungs, nervous system, and other organs and tissues.

An Anti-Aging practitioner should:

Traditional practitioners tend to practice the art of patching. Patching in the medical field refers to treating patients with different pharmaceutical drugs for each symptom that they present with. This approach is merely a temporizing measure, and the symptoms will certainly return. Consider the following analogy: You ride a bicycle on a street lined with nails; each time the tire gets punctured and becomes flat, you go to a practitioner for repair. The traditional physician will continue to patch the tire until there is simply nothing left to patch. The Anti-Aging practitioner will remove all of the nails from the street.

Make an appointment today

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Anti-aging Medicine - The Institute for Healthy Aging

age management/anti-aging and longevity medicine from Los Gatos …

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Los Gatos Longevity Institute is the first and foremost medical provider of age management / anti-aging and Longevity Medicine dedicated to the proposition that:

age is a state of mind ... aging is a treatable condition

As pioneers in the rapidly expanding age management / anti-aging field, we are increasingly imitated -- but never duplicated. Accept nothing but the best. We are the brand name in age management / anti-aging and Longevity Medicine proudly serving you since 1996.

Now relax ... take in a few deep breaths of air. Really deep ... Good. Now enjoy yourself.

Feel free to navigate our site in its entirety. There is a wealth of information here that should begin to answer many of your first anti-aging questions. You can see our specialty areas to the left.

We have a full spectrum of offerings including professional consultations. Bookmark this site and return often. New information is constantly being added and revised as recent developments are announced.

Your questions are welcomed. You can email us, click on our brief feedback page or call us at 408-358-8855 any time of the day.

And, don't forget to ask us about our Premiere Age Management Plans. It's like internal Plastic Surgery.

It's now up to you ...

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age management/anti-aging and longevity medicine from Los Gatos ...

Anti Aging Medicine | Alternative Medicine | Primary Care …

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The Nevada Center is a unique, state of the art, full service medical clinic, offering individualized treatment programs for patients of all ages, and with all medical conditions. The emphasis is on treating the cause of disease, not merely the symptoms. We also specialize in measuring and treating the aging process with individualized programs targeted to increasing the length and quality of life, preventing disease, and maintaining the same level of physical, mental, and emotional well being that characterizes true health. We leave nothing out!

This website also offers Dr. Shallenberger's Super Immune QuickStart, the only "one-stop" nutritional product available which provides all the supplementary nutrition, detoxification, and immune support that most people will ever need, in an easy and affordable daily "smoothie."

Dr. Shallenberger has developed a revolutionary new approach to health, aging, and disease prevention which is described in his groundbreaking two books, Bursting With Energy and The Type 2 Diabetes Breakthrough. Click here to find out how to order your copies and learn how to be bursting with energy for the rest of your life.

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Worldhealth.net: Anti-Aging Medicine and Advanced Preventative Health

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Tai chi is a mind-body practice that originated as a martial art in China and combines meditation with slow, gentle movements, weight shifting, breathing exercises, and relaxation. As a Chinese wellness practices, Tai Chi is associated with a variety of physical and mental health benefits, most notably:

Boosts physical & psychological health: Arizona State University (Arizona, USA) researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 77 peer-reviewed journal articles that reported on the results of Tai Chi, involving data on 6,410 men and women. The team found that study subjects were significantly improved on the health parameters of cardiopulmonary fitness, immune function, bone density, and quality of life, as compared to sedentary counterparts. Prevents falls, improves mental well-being: A joint Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (South Korea) and University of Exeter (United Kingdom) study that reviewed 35 published studies suggests that the deep breathing and relaxation with slow and gentle movements characteristic of tai chi may exert exercise-based general benefits for fall prevention and improvement of balance in older people as well as some meditative effects for improving psychological health. Yields cardiovascular, muscle strength benefits: Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong) studied 29 older Tai Chi practitioners, average age 73.7 years, who engaged in the activity for at least 1.5 hours a week for three years, comparing them to 36 healthy control subjects, average age 71.4 years, with no Tai Chi experience. The subjects who practiced Tai Chi showed healthier blood pressure, vascular resistance, and pulse pressure, as well as greater arterial compliance and average muscle strength in knee joints. Lessens arthritis pain: A team from the University of North Carolina (North Carolina, USA) studied 354 men and women, ages 18 years and over, with any type of self-reported, doctor-diagnosed arthritis. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: the intervention group received the 8-week, twice-weekly Tai Chi course immediately, whereas the other group was a delayed control group (received the Tai Chi course after 8 weeks). At the end of eight week study period, those men and women who had received the immediate intervention showed moderate improvements in pain, fatigue and stiffness. They also had an increased sense of well being, as measured by the psychosocial variables, and they had improved reach or balance. Alleviates fibromyalgia: Researchers from Tufts Medical Center (Massachusetts, USA) enrolled 66 patients with fibromyalgia, average age 50 years, in a 12-week long study in which each subject participated in either tai chi or a wellness education/stretching program (control intervention); each intervention was held as an hour-long session taking place twice a week. While both groups showed improvements in scores on the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, the tai chi participants had an 18.4-point greater reduction in severe symptoms after 12 weeks, with the difference sustained at 24 weeks. There were also significantly greater improvements in sleep quality, depression, and both physical and mental components of quality of life at 12 and 24 weeks, among the tai chi group. Improves depression: A team from the University of California/Los Angeles (UCLA; California, USA) combined a weekly tai chi exercise class with a standard depression treatment for a group of depressed elderly adults, finding a greater improvement in the level of depression along with improved quality of life, better memory and cognition, and more overall energy than that achieved by a different group in which the standard treatment was paired with a weekly health education class.

Taking place regularly in open spaces large and small, people of all ages take part in the time-tested practice of tai chi. Schedules may be readily found for your town or nearby city via the Internet.

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Worldhealth.net: Anti-Aging Medicine and Advanced Preventative Health

Long-lived mammals may hold clues about how to reverse aging

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Everyone knows what aging looks like. Wrinkles, high blood pressure, hair lossthose unmistakable signs of deterioration that accumulate as the years pass us by. But a genetics researcher at Brigham and Womens Hospital would like to take a step back: do we really know what aging is?

It remains completely unanswered, said Vadim Gladyshev, a professor of medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital. Despite a flood of anti-aging research and advances in extending the life span of some laboratory animals, Gladyshev thinks that broader questions about aging remain unanswered. Researchers have delved deeply into specific and powerful cellular processes that appear to be involved in aging without fully understanding how or if theyre connected to the phenomenon of a young organism becoming an old one.

For example, accumulating damage in cells is commonly thought to result in aging, but Gladyshev doesnt think even that assumption has been carefully tested. He pointed to the trash can in his fourth-floor office and noted that it could fill up with garbage, but that would not mean that his ability to do work would change.

So Gladyshev came up with a new way to probe aging. Instead of looking for clues by studying longer- and shorter-lived individuals of a particular species, why not look at the diversity of an entire class of organisms? Evolution, he notes, has been better at tweaking the life spans of organisms than any laboratory researchers have been: among mammals, there can be a gigantic variation in life span between different species. What, he wonders, are the genetic differences that mean an elephant can live for 70 years, a squirrel can reach its 20th birthday, but a shrew may expire after just one?

This fall, Gladyshev received a federal grant aimed at supporting high-reward, high-risk research that will extend the search for mechanisms of aging, by asking questions from an evolutionary perspective. Gladyshev will collect samples from 50 mammals whose natural lives vary, from the longest- to the shortest-lived.

It's research that takes Gladyshev into unusual partnerships for biomedical scientists, who are more likely to write e-mails to one another requesting cells than to call up wildlife biologists in other countries. Recently, for example, he enlisted a team of Russian scientists to gather samples from the Brandts bat, a five-gram mammal that has been documented to live 41 years.

The sample collection mission involved a long drive into remote country through sub-zero temperatures, followed by a 10-mile cross-country ski trip to the cave where the bats live. Ropes were used to lower scientists into a dark, cold cave where they could collect the bats, identify them, and use liquid nitrogen to preserve the samples. In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications this summer, Gladyshev and the Russian researchers described the bats genome, and compared it with other mammals. They identified genetic alterations in genes that may be involved in lifespan, and Gladyshev hopes to examine those genes in greater detail to see whether they play a role in the tiny creatures remarkable longevity.

By eventually comparing gene activity in many mammals, he hopes to identify genes and control mechanisms that might control agingand provide potent targets for researchers hoping to develop therapies that could extend life or combat diseases of aging.

And hes still looking for partners who could provide elephant and whale samples.

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Long-lived mammals may hold clues about how to reverse aging