Analysis of the longitudinal stability of human plasma miRNAs and implications for disease biomarkers.

There is great interest in developing clinical biomarker assays that can aid in non-invasive diagnosis and/or monitoring of human diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurological diseases. Yet little is known about the longitudinal stability of miRNAs in human plasma. Here we assessed the intraindividual longitudinal stability of miRNAs in plasma from healthy human adults, and the impact of common factors (e.g., hemolysis, age) that may confound miRNA data. We collected blood by venipuncture biweekly over a 3-month period from 22 research participants who had fasted overnight, isolated total RNA, then performed miRNA qPCR. Filtering and normalization of the qPCR data revealed amplification of 134 miRNAs, 74 of which had high test-retest reliability and low percentage level drift, meaning they were stable in an individual over the 3-month time period. We also determined that, of nuisance factors, hemolysis and tobacco use have the greatest impact on miRNA levels and variance. These findings support that many miRNAs show intraindividual longitudinal stability in plasma from healthy human adults, including some reported as candidate biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

"Socialization for Scarcity" in Emergency Management: Rethinking Assumptions of Resource Scarcity in Humanitarian Crises.

Background: Physician-anthropologist Paul Farmer theorizes a process of "socialization for scarcity" (SfS), which assumes permanent and unchangeable resource scarcity for the world's poor. International health and poverty decisions that are based off of this premise are therefore used to justify inadequate care for vulnerable populations. Objectives: The theory of SfS has predominantly been applied to the context of global health and development. This paper aims to apply SfS to the field of emergency management, asking, "How does SfS function in the context of humanitarian crises, and what implications does this have for emergency management?" Methods: This paper reviewed Farmer's own descriptions of SfS as well as articles by colleagues and other scholars who elaborated on his theory, analyzing their contributions to issues relevant in emergency management. Findings: This review finds that SfS is both applicable to and amplified within emergency management because of the uncertain, competitive, and urgent nature of humanitarian crises. The paper then describes potential approaches to combating SfS in emergency contexts. Conclusions: SfS is the result of deficient effort toward discovering approaches to managing emergencies that do not presume scarcity. The assumption of permanent resource scarcity, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), is a matter of inequity and injustice and stands opposed to imperative systemic change. Emergency managers must work to eradicate dangerous presumptions that leave already suffering individuals even further from the dignified, appropriate and adequate care they require and deserve.