Geneticists' views on science policy formation and public outreach

Though much research about the public's views of scientists, genetic research and its moral, ethical, and social implications exists, little has been done to investigate how scientists view their own role(s) in public discussions and policy formation related to genetic research and technologies. We interviewed 20 academic geneticists in the United States about their perceptions of the roles they and others (e.g., professional societies, the public, ethicists, and elected officials) do and should play in the formation of science policy, the communication of science to the public, and the public discussions of moral and ethical issues raised by scientific advances. The participants in our study thought that scientists should be more actively involved in public outreach and science policy formation, but frequently they felt ill-equipped and unsupported by their peers and institutions to pursue these activities. Furthermore, many were skeptical of or did not trust elected officials--who they consider uninformed about the issues and too driven by political agendas--to formulate sound science policy. They do, however, have faith in the ability of scientific societies to influence policy effectively, and some thought that societies should play a larger role, both in science policy and as a liaison between scientists and the public. Finally, participants offered suggestions for increasing the involvement and influence of scientists in science-policy formation and public discourse.     

Rapid odor conditioning in newborn rabbits: amnesic effect of hypothermia.

Rabbit pups are completely dependent on a maternal pheromone for the release of suckling behavior. However, if the mother is perfumed prior to nursing, pups will learn to respond to the novel odor with the characteristic nipple-search behavior in just one 3-4 min nursing episode. In a first investigation of the processes underlying this recently developed learning paradigm, time-dependent effects of hypothermia on retention of the task could be demonstrated. Thus pups whose whole body was cooled to a mouth temperature of 7 degrees C immediately after conditioning (n = 10) and tested 24 h later for 3 min on a perfumed fur did not differ significantly in their search response from naive, untreated controls (n = 10). In contrast, pups cooled 4 h after conditioning (n = 10) demonstrated clear retention of the learned response and searched as vigorously as conditioned but uncooled animals (n = 10). As pups of all groups demonstrated normal nipple-search behavior when tested on a lactating doe, the deficits associated with immediate cooling appear to have been specific to the learning task and time of treatment.     

Umbilical cord blood screening for cytomegalovirus DNA by quantitative PCR.

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which is the most common congenitally transmitted infection, affects approximately 1% of neonates worldwide. Despite its prevalence, no convenient screening test for neonatal CMV infection has been implemented. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and yield of screening umbilical cord blood for CMV DNA emiaby quantitative PCR. STUDY DESIGN: Umbilical cord blood was tested for CMV DNAemia using a commercial quantitative PCR assay. Maternal CMV serostatus at the time of delivery was assessed by testing for CMV IgG and IgM antibodies in serum. CONCLUSIONS: Screening for congenital CMV infection with PCR is easily incorporated into routine labor and delivery care using discarded cord blood specimens to identify neonates whose infection is otherwise undiagnosed. Among 433 infants tested, two (0.5%) had DNAemia detected in cord blood, one of whom was symptomatic, and both of whose mothers were CMV IgG positive and IgM negative. Viremic neonates identified by screening with PCR may be at high risk of developing long-term neurological complications of CMV infection and cannot reliably be identified using clinical presentation or maternal serology. Because of its convenience, cord blood CMV screening with PCR should be further investigated for incorporation into neonatal screening protocols.     

Brain regions and their dynamics in prospective memory retrieval: a MEG study.

We measured brain activity using magnetoencephalography in five participants during ongoing tasks that included prospective memory, retrospective memory, and oddball trials. Sources were identified in the hippocampal formation and posterior parietal and frontal lobes. Posterior parietal cortex activation had an earlier onset in the prospective memory condition than retrospective memory or oddball conditions, a higher level of theta activity in the retrospective condition, and higher levels of upper alpha in the prospective and oddball conditions. Activation of the hippocampal formation had a longer duration in the retrospective memory and prospective memory conditions than the oddball condition, but prominent alpha and theta band activity was present in all three conditions. We interpret the early (87 ms) onset of activity in parietal cortex as evidence for an initial noticing of appropriate conditions for a PM response. Hippocampal activity may reflect a subsequent memory search for the intended action.     

Filling the gaps in physician communication. The role of the Internet among primary care patients

BACKGROUND: Millions of people use the Internet as a source for health information yet little is understood about how the use of the Internet for health information is related to the doctor-patient relationship. OBJECTIVE: We conducted the present study to understand the association between one's interest in using the Internet for general and quality-oriented health information and attitudes about one's communications with health care provider(s). DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Four community-based primary care practices in Rhode Island. MEASUREMENTS: A single self-administered survey included items to measure: interest in using the Internet to look for general and quality-oriented information and a patient's perceptions of the degree to which their doctors over the previous year have: (1) given them information and (2) engaged them in the decision-making process. RESULTS: A total of 300 patients completed the survey. Among patients without Internet access, interest in using the Internet for health related activities was less among patients who felt that their doctor gave less information: Odds ratio 0.83 (95% CI, 0.70-0.98) and greater among patients who felt that their doctor engaged them more in decision making: Odds ratio 1.3 (95% CI, 1.1-1.6). Among patients with Internet access, we found no relationship between interest in using the Internet for health related activities and measures of patient-physician communication or patient-physician decision making. CONCLUSIONS: Interest in using the Internet for health information is greater for those who (1) felt their doctors provided less information and (2) felt their doctors engaged them more in the decision-making process, but this is true only for those without access to the Internet.     

Drug usage guidelines, Part 2: Analysis of program outcome

The effect of integrating a Drug Usage Guidelines (DUG) program with a hospital formulary system was analyzed. Significant changes were observed in both the number of requests submitted to the P & T Committee and the number of drugs added to the formulary after implementation of the DUG program. Failure to follow the DUG submission protocol, particularly with respect to the requirement for supportive clinical data from the primary literature, led to delayed consideration and eventual withdrawal of several highly promoted drug products. The initial involvement of physicians in the planning and implementation of the DUG program has been an important factor in the continued success of the program.     

Effects of Feeding Time on Markers of Muscle Metabolic Flexibility Following Acute Aerobic Exercise in Trained Mice Undergoing Time Restricted Feeding

Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is becoming a popular way of eating in physically active populations, despite a lack of research on metabolic and performance outcomes as they relate to the timing of food consumption in relation to the time of exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine if the timing of feeding/fasting after exercise training differently affects muscle metabolic flexibility and response to an acute bout of exercise. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to one of three groups for 8 weeks. The control had ad libitum access to food before and after exercise training. TRF-immediate had immediate access to food for 6 h following exercise training and the TRF-delayed group had access to food 5-h post exercise for 6 h. The timing of fasting did not impact performance in a run to fatigue despite TRF groups having lower hindlimb muscle mass. TRF-delayed had lower levels of muscle HSL mRNA expression and lower levels of PGC-1α expression but displayed no changes in electron transport chain enzymes. These results suggest that in young populations consuming a healthy diet and exercising, the timing of fasting may not substantially impact metabolic flexibility and running performance.     

Outbreak of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 Infections,Ghana

In September 2019, high mortality in commercial rabbits was reported in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 phylogenetically related to isolates from 2015–2017 outbreaks in the Netherlands was confirmed as the causative agent. The virus has not yet been detected in native rabbits in Ghana.     

Scleroderma renal crisis

Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is a rare but life-threatening complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) characterized by malignant hypertension and acute kidney injury. Historically, SRC was the leading cause of death in SSc. However, with the advent of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, mortality rates have decreased significantly. Nevertheless, one-year outcomes remain poor, with over 30% mortality and 25% of patients remaining dialysis-dependent. There is an urgent need to improve early recognition and treatment, and to identify novel treatments to improve outcomes of SRC. In this chapter, the clinical features, classification, pathophysiology, differential diagnosis, management and outcomes of SRC are presented. Specific issues relating to pregnancy, prophylactic ACE inhibition and management of essential hypertension are also discussed.